Richmond Free Press April 1-3, 2021 edition

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Shaka Smart leaves Texas A11

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VOL. 30 NO. 14

RICHMOND, VIRGINIA

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Meet this week’s Personality B3

APRIL 1-3, 2021

‘I believe I witnessed a murder’ Witnesses to George Floyd’s deadly arrest in Minneapolis tell jury of their shock, horror Free Press wire reports

REUTERS/Jane Rosenberg

Former Minneapolis Police officer Derek Chauvin watches a screen showing video of the scene outside Cup Foods during his trial March 30 for second and third degree murder and second degree manslaughter in the death of Mr. Floyd in Minneapolis in this courtroom sketch from a video feed of the proceedings.

media, went viral around the world. She was among those who MINNEAPOLIS passed the scene by happenstance Darnella Frazier said she and became eyewitnesses to police sometimes lays awake at night brutality that would rock the nation, “apologizing to George Floyd for trigger months of “Black Lives not doing more and not physiMatter” protests in Richmond cally interacting and not saving and across the country and rev up his life.” efforts for police reform. Mr. Floyd Now 18, Ms. Frazier is the perLike other witnesses, Ms. Frason who took the cell phone video on May zier was asked to recount before a jury what 25, 2020, that showed former Minneapolis they saw outside Cup Foods, a convenience Police officer Derek Chauvin, 45, kneeling store where the events began. Police were on the neck of a handcuffed Mr. Floyd for called after Mr. Floyd purchased items with more than 9 minutes until he died. a $20 bill an employee at the store reported Mr. Chauvin, whose trial got underway as counterfeit. in Minneapolis on Monday with prosecutors’ In her case, Ms. Frazier was walking her and defense attorneys’ opening arguments, is 9-year-old cousin to buy some snacks at the facing decades in prison if he is convicted of store. When she saw what was happening, second degree murder, third degree murder and she told her cousin to go into the store, manslaughter in the death of Mr. Floyd. Ms. Frazier’s video, posted on social Please turn to A4

State elections board investigating allegations involving city Electoral Board’s handling of Nov. 3 election By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Did the Democratic-controlled Richmond Electoral Board break state law in trying to produce results after the Nov. 3 election amid challenges from COVID-19? That is unclear and unproven. The Free Press has learned, however, that the state Board of Elections held a closed Mr. Nachman meeting Wednesday to consider whether action against the Richmond board may be warranted after the Richmond Circuit Court referred a complaint it received from the Richmond Republican Committee. The Richmond Circuit Court appoints the members of the three-person Richmond Electoral Board. Two of the members must be of the same political party as the sitting governor, while the third must be of the opposite party. Neither of the Democrats, Chairman James M. Nachman and Vice Chair Joyce K. Smith, were invited to participate in the closed-door session that revolved around the allegations the Republican city committee wrote up with support from the city

Snoozing VUU Panthers anxious for wake-up call By Fred Jeter

Living a year under

Electoral Board’s Republican member, C. Starlet Stevens. According to emails and documents obtained by the Free Press before the state board’s meeting, the GOP committee’s top two complaints involve actions taken after the polls closed on the Nov. 3 election, including an allegation that some of the sealed envelopes containing tapes from voting machines were Ms. Stevens opened prematurely. The meeting takes place as the Richmond board prepares for the June 8 Democratic primary election as it moves ahead with appointing a replacement for veteran city Voter Registrar

Kirk Showalter. Ms. Showalter was fired Feb. 1 and is contemplating a lawsuit against the city board. Currently, Jerry Richardson, who had been the deputy registrar, is serving as acting city voter registrar. According to the Electoral Board minutes, all three board members voted to approve Ms. Richardson to fill the position on Feb. 26 although state law appears to require anyone appointed to fill the registrar’s post to be able to vote in the locality. As a non-city resident, Ms. Richardson cannot vote in Richmond. Asked about the GOP committee’s complaint, Mr. Nachman

Casino proposals offer a range of sweeteners for city By Jeremy M. Lazarus

First there were six. Now there are three companies competing for the Richmond license for a casino after a city panel discarded three other proposals last week. Soon there will be just one. In a month or two, City Hall’s internal evaluation panel will recommend one project to Richmond City Council, and if approved there, the proposal would be sent to the voters for approval as a ballot item in the November general election. Voter passage would clear the way for development. The finalists the evaluation panel announced last week include the nation’s largest Black-owned radio and media company, Urban One of Silver Spring, Md.; casino developer and operator Bally’s Corp. of Lincoln, R.I.; and real estate developer and casino operator The Cordish Companies of Baltimore. All three are pitching their individual projects as big winners for the city and the Black community. All are promising jobs and significant inclusion of Black investors and Blackowned businesses, and each proposal is touting other benefits, including sweeteners

such as enhanced revenue for the city or assistance in meeting critical needs. The casino has been forecast to be a revenue gusher, even if plenty of people must gamble and lose to generate such cash. The city’s consultants have projected that a casino would generate $19 million to $21 million a year as the city’s share of the state gaming tax, plus an extra $10.5 million a year from real estate, meals, lodging and other taxes. Here are some of the highlights of each project. Urban One’s proposed One Casino + Resort would provide an upfront payment of $60 million to the city plus continue an additional $6 million annually to the city from

casino revenues above the city’s share of the state gaming tax, according to Alfred C. Liggins III, chief executive officer of Please turn to A4

Free COVID-19 testing

Few gyms have enjoyed more raucous victory celebrations than Virginia Union University’s venerable BarcoStevens Hall. But more recently, few gyms have been more silent. The “legends” of Barco have been fast asleep. Dozens of colorful individual and championship banners dangling from the rafters have become little more than dust collectors. All of that proud tradition just got a year older, quietly, with no fanfare. “It’s been rough, especially in March — the month of March Madness. We’re just trying to weather the storm,” said Panthers basketball Coach Jay Butler. The “storm” Coach Butler was referencing is the coronavirus,

Free community testing for COVID-19 continues. The Richmond and Henrico County health districts are offering testing at the following locations: • Thursday, April 1, 1 to 3 p.m., Second Baptist Church of South Richmond, 3300 Broad Rock Blvd. Drive-thru testing. • Thursday, April 8, 10 a.m. to noon, Regency Square rear parking deck, 1420 N. Parham Road, Western Henrico. Drive-thru testing. Appointments are encouraged by calling the Richmond and Henrico COVID-19 Hotline at (804) 205-3501 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, or by registering online at https://bit.ly/RHHDCOVID. Testing will be offered while test supplies last. The Virginia Department of Health also has a list of COVID-19 testing locations around the state at www.vdh.virginia.gov/coronavirus/covid-19-testing/covid-19-testing-sites/. Want a COVID-19 vaccine? Seniors ages 65 and older who live in Richmond or Henrico County can call the Richmond and Henrico Health Districts COVID-19 hotline (804) 205-3501 from

Please turn to A4

Please turn to A4

COVID

Please turn to A4

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Score! Four-year-old Max Stephen works on his soccer game in Byrd Park, practicing all the moves and maneuvers to get the ball into the goal and score. The youngster was enjoying the outdoors last Saturday with his mother, Lisa Morton, and father, Valentine Stephen.


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Richmond Free Press

April 1-3, 2021

Local News

RRHA board leadership turnover may be in the works

Veronica G. Blount appears to be on her way out as the chair of the RRHA Board of Commissioners, the Free Press has learned. The nine-member board announced a special closed-door meeting for Tuesday to discuss a leadership shakeup. Without posting a public notice, the board shifted the meeting to Wednesday evening. Ms. Blount has served five years on the Ms. Blount board, including a previous stint as chair. After Richmond City Council reappointed her last year to a second term, Ms. Blount also won election to a four-year term as chair that is to expire in 2024. The dynamics of the board, though, have changed with the appointment of five new commissioners in the past six months and the majority of members now believe new board leadership is warranted, the Free Press was told. Under the board’s rules, if Ms. Blount steps down or is removed as chair, the current vice chair, Neil S. Kessler, would take over as chairman. – JEREMY M. LAZARUS

Crusade for Voters to hold virtual get-to-know-thecandidates sessions Want to know more about the candidates running in the Tuesday, June 8, Democratic primary? The Richmond Crusade for Voters is hosting a series of virtual sessions with candidates for statewide office, the House of Delegates and local offices who are seeking the party’s nomination to run in the November general election. The sessions will be offered on Zoom and are open to the public. According to the Crusade, the meeting ID for all of the sessions will be 82634236927 and the passcode will be 132889. People also can dial in on their phone to (301) 715-8582 and use the meeting ID and password to listen in. Here is the schedule: Thursday, April 8: Attorney general candidate Jay Jones, 6 to 6:45 p.m.; gubernatorial candidate Lee Carter, 7 to 7:45 p.m. Friday, April 9: Gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe, 6 to 6:45 p.m.; gubernatorial candidate Justin Fairfax, 7 to 7:45 p.m. Thursday, April 15: Gubernatorial candidate Jennifer Carroll Foy, 6 to 7 p.m. Saturday, April 17: Gubernatorial candidate Jennifer L. McClellan, 4 to 5 p.m. Sunday, April 18: Attorney general candidate Mark R. Herring, 7 to 8 p.m.

Wednesday, April 21: Richmond sheriff candidates Antionette Irving, incumbent, and William Burnett, challenger, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.; and Richmond commonwealth’s attorney candidates Colette W. McEachin, incumbent, and Thomas P. Barbour Jr., challenger, 7:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday, April 22: House of Delegate seats — District 71, Jeffrey M. Bourne, incumbent; Richard Walker, challenger, 6 to 7 p.m.; District 69, Betsy B. Carr, incumbent, Michael J. Jones, challenger, 7 to 8 p.m.; and District 68, Dawn M. Adams, incumbent, Kyle R. Elliott, challenger, 8 to 9 p.m.

Details: Johnny Walker at (804) 357-8242.

State offers students free help applying for financial aid Gov. Ralph S. Northam said the state is offering free help to students and their families to apply for college financial aid. The governor’s office said in a statement last week that the coronavirus pandemic has led to a decline in completion rates of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA. The Virginia College Access Network and the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia have partnered to offer oneon-one FAFSA assistance. Students and families can go to virginiacan.org/fafsa to schedule a virtual meeting and connect with an adviser until June 30. Virginia has seen 4,300 fewer high school seniors complete the FAFSA. That’s a drop of nearly 10 percent compared to last year. The decline also mirrors the 9 percent drop in FAFSA completion rates across the country. “Completing the FAFSA can be difficult under normal circumstances, and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and shift to remote learning have added to the challenge of assisting our high school seniors with filling out their forms,” Gov. Northam said.

Corrections Dr. Emanuel C. Harris has been in the ministry for 28 years and has served as pastor of Jerusalem Baptist Church in ManakinSabot for the last nine years. An article about published in the March 18-20 edition of the Free Press incorrectly stated his years of service at the Goochland County church. • Three women will receive the Maggie Lena Walker Emerging Leader Award and a $20,000 stipend, PayPal officials stated last week following the Free Press’ publication of an article on the new national annual award in the March 25-27 edition. The company clarified its statement on the number of recipients of the award. The company also will present a separate Maggie Lena Walker Achievement Award with a $50,000 stipend to an individual with an established career. The Free Press regrets the errors.

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Cityscape Slices of life and scenes in Richmond

A duo of great horned owls perch in a pine tree near the front entrance of Bryan Park in North Side. These owls are fierce predators that are also called tiger owls and are noted for their loud hoots. They are the largest of the owls, according to the Audubon Society, and take prey as varied as rabbits, hawks, snakes and even skunks. Great horned owls begin nesting even before spring arrives, the society noted.

Gov. Northam signs Virginia Voting Rights Act Gov. Ralph S. Northam has signed the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, making the Commonwealth the first state in the nation to enact its own voting rights act. “At a time when voting rights are under attack across our country, Virginia is expanding access to the ballot box, not restricting it,” Gov. Northam said in a statement Wednesday announcing his signature on the act to protect against voter suppression, discrimination or intimidation. The measures were sponsored by state Sen. Jennifer L. McClellan of Richmond and Delegate Marcia S. “Cia” Price of Newport News, both members of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus. Sen. McClellan also is running for the Democratic nomination for governor. The governor made minor technical amendments to Senate Bill 1395 and House Bill 1890, which prohibit any state or local policy from denying or restricting the right to vote of any Virginian simply because of their race, color or membership in a language minority group. “With the Voting Rights Act of Virginia, our Commonwealth is creating a model for how states can provide comprehensive

voter protections that strengthen democracy and the integrity of our elections,” Gov. Northam said. “I am proud to support this historic legislation, and I urge Congress to follow Virginia’s Gov. Northam example.” The act, which takes effect on July 1, requires election officials to get feedback or pre-approval from the Office of the Attorney General on any proposed voting changes. It also prohibits at-large local elections if they dilute the voting power of racial minorities. It also ensures accessibility by requiring local election officials provide voting materials in foreign languages, as needed. Additionally, the act allows people to sue in cases of voter suppression. Civil penalties awarded from these cases will go to a newly established Voter Education and Outreach Fund. The governor’s amendments clarify that certain provisions apply to all localities. Gov. Northam also signed two other

measures, HB 1888 and SB 1245, that require localities to establish dropoff locations for the return of absentee ballots, include prepaid return postage on absentee ballots, and allow voters to fix mistakes they may have made on their absentee ballot envelopes. The measures also ensure Virginians who are blind or vision impaired have the tools they need to cast their vote. “The Voting Rights Act of Virginia is a huge victory for our democracy,” Sen. McClellan said in a statement. “While other states are threatening voting rights, Virginia took a major step today to protect the right to vote.” “Virginia is standing strong against a coordinated and intentional effort to restrict voting rights across the nation,” Delegate Price stated. “These targeted restrictions are designed to disenfranchise people of color, working Americans, and nonnative English speakers. With this bill, our Commonwealth is taking the opposite approach and we are making a bold statement against voter suppression. We are upholding the dignity, voice and vote of all Virginians.”

McEachin launches new program to help people clear police records By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Richmond residents have a new cost-free way to clear their police records of charges that resulted in acquittals or dismissals or were not prosecuted, Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney Colette W. McEachin has announced. Mrs. McEachin launched the new program March 25 after the General Assembly failed to pass an expansion of the current law that blocks expungement of convictions. She stated that people can obtain expungement petition forms at the office of Richmond Circuit Court Clerk Edward Jewett at the John Marshall Courts Building, 400 N. 9th St. in Downtown. The petitioner can fill out two petitions for each charge to be expunged, leaving one with Mr. Jewett’s office and one at the Richmond Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, which also is on the first floor of the courts building. Mrs. McEachin stated her initiative

waives the requirement that a petitioner pay a process server to deliver the paperwork to her office to simplify the process. An attorney also would not be needed, she added. Expungement, Mrs. McEachin which she supports, has been available for years for charges that did not result in convictions. Last year, 207 petitions were filed, with none rejected, she said. “My office has the prosecutorial discretion to try to increase the number of expungements, and I am using that authority,” Mrs. McEachin stated. The initiative has emerged as Mrs. McEachin campaigns for re-election against a Democratic primary challenger, attorney Thomas P. Barbour Jr. Along with boosting expungement, Ms. McEachin also announced creation

of a Community Justice Reform Unit in her office. Deputy Commonwealth’s Attorney Kelli Burnett is to lead the unit that is to improve the office’s efforts to reduce mass incarceration, support victims of crime and resolve cases in a manner that is equitable and proportional to the harm, Mrs. McEachin stated. The goal of the unit, she said, is to build on the office’s 20-year record in criminal justice reforms. Such reforms include virtually eliminating the cash bond system for those awaiting trial and the creation of programs that seek to divert from jail first-time defendants facing non-violent charges and those with addiction, mental health and behavioral health challenges. Mrs. McEachin stated she created the new unit to find ways to “expand the policies and initiatives already in place and dismantle institutionalized racism” in the criminal justice system.

Precinct of the Year Richmond’s Third Police Precinct is now flying the Precinct of the Year banner under the American flag outside its precinct building at 301 S. Meadow St. in the West End. Police Chief Gerald M. Smith presented the flag Tuesday to the precinct’s commander, Capt. Faith Flippo, and the officers deployed there in recognition for its largest reduction in crime in 2020 among the city’s four precincts. According to the department, Third Precinct recorded a 22 percent decrease in violent crime and a 14 percent reduction in property crime in a year notable for a pandemic and racial justice protests. Overall, reported crime fell 13 percent in the city from 2019, the Richmond Police Department stated. Capt. Flippo called the recognition “well deserved.” She credited the reduction to the “dedication and hustle” of officers carrying out the “strategic, focused approach” she and the precinct’s supervisors have implemented. Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press


Richmond Free Press

April 1-3, 2021 A3

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Richmond Free Press

A4  April 1-3, 2021

News

Witnesses to George Floyd’s deadly arrest tell jury of their shock, horror Continued from A1

pulled out her camera and began recording. Ms. Frazier began to cry when prosecutors brought up a still from her video, showing the moment when Mr. Chauvin, his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck, appeared to look directly into her camera lens. She was asked about the impact that the most famous record of Mr. Floyd’s death had on her. “When I look at George Floyd, I look at my dad,” Ms. Frazier told the jury of eight white people and six Black or multiracial individuals, two of whom will be designated alternates and 12 of whom will ultimately decide Mr. Chauvin’s fate. “I look at my brothers. I look at my cousins, my uncles because they are all Black. I have a Black father,” Ms. Frazier testified

Snoozing VUU Panthers anxious for wake-up call Continued from A1

a cold-hearted opponent you can’t outrun, out jump or out slam dunk. VUU, along with the rest of the CIAA – the nation’s oldest HBCU conference—opted out of the entire 2020-2021 basketball season due to health and safety concerns for all involved. Other athletic conferences opting out this season included the SIAC ­ another HBCU Division II league — and the Division I Ivy League and Sunshine State conferences. Still, more schools have played than haven’t. The television coverage of the NCAA playoffs has gone on without Virginia Union’s men’s and women’s programs that have been postseason regulars. “You watch the games (on television) and you feel bad for the kids. I know they miss playing,” said Coach Butler, who was a star guard at VUU in the 1990s before becoming a coach. It had to especially hurt on March 27 watching Northwest Missouri State University defeat West Texas A&M University for the NCAA Division II title live on CBS. Panthers everywhere had to wistfully feel that “it could have been us.” “I put myself in their shoes,” Coach Butler said. “How would I feel” not playing while others are? “I know all of us miss playing at Barco — a Monday night at Barco with the crowd behind us.” Even if VUU and other CIAA schools had decided to play this season, attendance would have been limited because of COVID-19 crowd restrictions in Virginia and elsewhere. It’s not like Coach Butler has tacked up the “Gone fishin’ ” sign, however. “We haven’t practiced together, but we’ve stayed in touch by Zoom,” he said of the team. “We talk about individual workouts, finding an open gym, going outside to shoot.” There is no shortage of willing Panthers. The 2020-21 roster was announced with 25 names, including 15 newcomers. Come October, those 25 will vie for about 15 spots on the active roster. Coach Butler reports having just nine athletic scholarships. That means some sharing of scholarship money. The 2020-21 seniors are being granted another season by the NCAA. That means 6-foot-7 senior/graduate student-to-be Jordan Peebles will return. Peebles, who was All-CIAA in 2019-20, is a high-wire act without the tightrope. He’s an alley-oop dunk waiting to happen. “We’d like to see Jordan go out with a championship,” Coach Butler said. When the subject of championships comes up, VUU doesn’t need to take a back seat. The Panthers’ three NCAA titles — 1980, 1992 and 2005 — are the third most in Division II history. VUU’s 29 overall NCAA bids is fourth in the annals. Regrettably, VUU has closed the 2020-21 season in silence. But Barco-Stevens Hall isn’t going away, and neither are the Panthers.

Free COVID-19 testing Continued from A1

8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday to schedule a vaccine appointment. Others who want a vaccine should contact the statewide COVID-19 Vaccination Pre-Registration System at vaccinate. virginia.gov or by calling 877-VAX-IN-VA, or (877) 829-4682. The statewide call center is open 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. seven days a week to help people pre-register by phone or to answer questions about the vaccine. The call center has English- and Spanishspeaking agents and a call-back service to help people in more than 100 other languages. Additionally, TTY service is available to help people who are deaf or hard of hearing. Federal officials have called on state leaders to pause reopening efforts and re-implement safety guidelines, particularly mask mandates with a recent spike in cases across half of the United States. This new surge comes as the White House announced plans Monday for 90 percent of the country’s adult population to be eligible for vaccination by April 19 and for vaccination sites to be available within five miles of homes of 90 percent of U.S. residents. Locally, the Richmond and Henrico County health districts opened vaccine eligibility to people in Phase 1C. That includes faculty and staff from colleges and universities; barbers, stylists and hairdressers; food service workers; workers in energy, wastewater and waste removal and recycling; the media, legal services; housing and construction; finance and information technology. More than half of Richmond’s and Henrico’s populations will be eligible once the appointments start in earnest. The city health district moved its mass vaccination site in South Richmond from Celebration Church to George Wythe High School on Crutchfield Street. Officials said the change was to ensure ample space for social distancing. More than 800 people were scheduled to get a COVID-19 vaccine this week at the school. The Richmond and Henrico health districts also were scheduled this week to receive 10,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson, single-dose vaccine. The majority of the doses, 8,000, will be distributed at the mass vaccine site at Richmond Raceway in Henrico, while 500 are to be used for small- and mid-size vaccination clinics at independent living facilities, drive-thru clinics for people with disabilities and their caretakers and for mobile clinics for homebound seniors. State health officials reported Wednesday that more than 3.7 million doses of the vaccine have been administered in the state, with 1.34 million people fully vaccinated, or 15.8 percent of the state’s residents. Nearly 30 percent of the population has received at least one dose. State officials reported 618,976 cases of COVID-19 statewide on Wednesday, along with 26,455 hospitalizations and 10,252 deaths. Virginia’s seven-day positivity rate rose slightly to 5.8 percent. Last week, it was 5.6 percent. According to state data, African-Americans comprised 21.9 percent of cases statewide and 24.6 percent of deaths for which ethnic and racial data is available, while Latinos made up 16.6 percent of cases and 6.5 percent of deaths. As of Wednesday, Richmond reported a total of 15,773 positive cases, 747 hospitalizations and 243 deaths; Henrico County, 23,156 cases, 967 hospitalizations and 571 deaths; Chesterfield County, 25,404 cases, 865 hospitalizations and 396 deaths; and Hanover County, 7,332 cases, 263 hospitalizations and 146 deaths.

Tuesday in telling her story publicly for the first time. “I have a Black brother. I have Black friends. And I look at that, and I look at how that could have been one of them.” Ms. Frazier, at times crying, was soft-spoken during her emotional testimony, he voice cracking on occasion. “It seemed like he knew it was over for him,” Ms. Frazier said of Mr. Floyd. “He was terrified. He was suffering. This was a cry for help, definitely.” She testified the officer kneeling on him “had this cold look, heartless.” Mr. Chauvin, listening to her testimony from his seat alongside his lawyer at a nearby table, was taking notes on a yellow legal pad. Minutes later, Ms. Frazier’s young cousin, her hair in braids, took her place in the witness stand, saying in a small voice she recognized Mr. Chauvin as the man she saw kneeling on Mr. Floyd. “I was sad,” Judeah Reynolds said, “and kind of mad. It felt like he was stopping his breathing and it was kind of like hurting him.” The trial opened Monday with prosecutor Jerry Blackwell playing for the jurors Ms. Frazier’s 10-minute video footage showing Mr. Chauvin with his knee on Mr. Floyd’s neck. Mr. Blackwell told the jurors that the number to remember was 9 minutes, 29 seconds — the amount of time he said Mr.

Chauvin had Mr. Floyd pinned to the pavement, a correction to the original 8 minutes, 46 seconds that became widely used as a rallying cry for racial justice demonstrators. Most police chiefs and officers who have seen the video have condemned Mr. Chauvin’s action in this case. Mr. Chauvin’s attorney, Eric Nelson, said the evidence would prove that “Derek Chauvin did exactly what he had been trained to do over his 19-year career” and that he did not kill Mr. Floyd. The defense attorney noted that Mr. Floyd, 46, had none of the telltale signs of asphyxiation and an autopsy found he had prescription drugs fentanyl and methamphetamine in his system. Before Ms. Frazier testified, bystander Donald Williams, who said he was trained in mixed- martial arts, including chokeholds, testified that Mr. Chauvin appeared to increase the pressure on Mr. Floyd’s neck several times with a shimmying motion of his knee. Mr. Williams said that he yelled to the officer that he was cutting off Mr. Floyd’s blood supply. On Ms. Frazier’s video, Mr. Williams can be heard yelling insults at Mr. Chauvin and demanding police check for Mr. Floyd’s pulse. A 911 call Mr. Williams made at the scene also was played to the jury. Mr. Williams dabbed his eyes with a tissue as his distressed voice filled the courtroom. “I believe I witnessed a murder,” Mr. Williams, 33, told the jury. “So, I felt I needed to call the police on the police.”

State elections board investigating allegations Continued from A1

and Ms. Smith told the Free Press they did not engage in any wrongdoing. Mr. Nachman called the allegations false and claimed the city Republican committee is pressing the complaints in retaliation for the Electoral Board’s dismissal of Ms. Showalter after 25 years of service. One complaint involves the alleged premature opening of some of the sealed envelopes containing tapes from voting machines after polls closed on Nov. 3. Chief election officers at each precinct collect the tapes before locking up the precinct and take the envelopes in which the tapes are sealed to the city’s central elections office. Those tapes contain the official results, with one set sent to the Richmond Circuit Court, one set given to the registrar to create a spread sheet with official tallies and one set going to the Electoral Board so it can check and correct any mistakes in the registrar’s figures. The envelopes are to remain sealed until the day after the election when, according to state law, the board is to gather to begin the canvass or official counting process. After the polls close but before the canvass, the chief election officials also are to call in election results to the registrar’s office to be reported to the state Board of Elections. The called-in numbers represent the unofficial results that get posted on the state website. Mr. Nachman and Ms. Smith acknowledge that late on Nov. 3 and early Nov. 4, they went through some of the envelopes to get results from some precincts whose unofficial results were not called in. Mr. Nachman said he consulted Ms. Showalter after results for at least six precincts remained unreported and the chief election officials could not be located. He

said Ms. Showalter told him that the board could break the seals. He said that two staff members watched him and Ms. Smith open certain envelopes, review the tapes for results and return the tapes to the envelope. Ms. Stevens had left the office, he said. He said both he and Ms. Smith resealed the envelopes and both of them signed the new seal. The Republican committee has complained that action violated the procedure spelled out in the state code. At a March 11 meeting of the city Electoral Board, the two Democrats voted to fire Ames Russell, a chief election officer who had worked for eight years. According to the city Republican committee, Mr. Russell was dismissed because he complained to the state Department of Elections on Nov. 4 about his precinct envelope being opened before the start of the canvass and the tapes going missing, though they were found later in another envelope. Officially a city employee, Mr. Russell has filed for reinstatement under the city’s grievance process, adding more complexity. Mr. Nachman denied opening Mr. Russell’s envelope during the search for precinct election results and denied Mr. Russell was fired for filing the complaint. Ms. Smith said Mr. Russell was dismissed because he refused to accept her and Mr. Nachman’s statements that they had nothing to do with the premature opening of his envelope. A second complaint involves Mr. Nachman’s completion of a portion of the canvass at his home. At the time, the registrar’s office was shut down because of an outbreak of COVID-19. All the staff either tested positive or were in quarantine, including Ms. Showalter. Ms. Stevens also had the virus, and Mr. Nachman and Ms. Smith

were in quarantine. Mr. Nachman said Ms. Showalter swore in his wife, Kelly, as an elections officer. Then with his wife’s help, he said he completed the official tabulation of results precinct by precinct. He said he either filled in the figures that Ms. Showalter had not gotten to or checked his copy of the tapes against her figures to ensure accuracy. He said that Ms. Stevens knew what he was doing and consented. However, Ms. Stevens said she never consented to such an ad hoc procedure. She said Mr. Nachman should have allowed the chairs of the city Democratic and Republican committees to go to court for appointment of replacements. Mr. Nachman said he does not read any requirement for such action in the state code. Other issues also are being raised. During the public comment period at Wednesday’s state Board of Elections meeting, Ms. Stevens alleged that Ms. Smith sought to collect unemployment insurance for her position on the Electoral Board even though she was still receiving her monthly city stipend. Ms. Smith told the Free Press last weekend that she sought unemployment benefits after being laid off last year during the pandemic from her full-time position as a systems analyst with a private company and, as required, included information about her part-time work as an elections official. She said the Virginia Employment Commission sent the information to the city even though she was not seeking unemployment from the city and was paid too little to qualify. She said the city’s human resources office notified her that the VEC mistaken sent the information to the city, telling her it happens regularly to others and that that office would straighten it out. Ms. Smith said VEC still has her case under review.

Casino proposals offer a range of sweeteners for city Continued from A1

Urban One. He said the company also would contribute about $3 million a year to nonprofits. Urban One also would use its media muscle to provide the city with $2.5 million in free advertising and promotion through its radio, cable TV and other outlets. If the One proposal becomes the city’s choice, Mr. Liggins said a temporary casino would be opened while the resort is being developed to generate both income and early tax revenue for the city. The One proposal calls for developing a $517 million casino-resort on 100 acres in South Side near the Bells Road exit off Interstate 95. The site is located on Commerce Road between Bells Road and Walmsley Boulevard and was the location of Philip Morris’ now closed operations center. It is just south of the tobacco factory. The project is to include a 150-room upscale hotel, which could be expanded, along with a large casino with slot machines, gaming tables and sports betting. The proposal also includes a 3,000-seat concert venue at which partner promoter Live Nation would host 200 concerts a year, Mr. Liggins said. Mr. Liggins has rounded up at least 50 mostly well-heeled Black investors to join him and his mother, Urban One Chairwoman Cathy Hughes, in generating 80 percent of the $75 million equity stake in the project. He said at least 40 percent of the suppliers and vendors would be minorities. Pacific Peninsula Entertainment, which operates Colonial Downs and the Rosie’s Gaming Emporiums, would be the operator, but Mr. Liggins said that company would not be the owner. He noted that Black contractor Devon Henry of Team Henry Enterprises would construct the casino-resort in partnership with the larger Hourigan construction group. He projected that after construction, the resort would generate an initial 1,500 jobs, with an average salary of $48,000 a year, with employees becoming part owners and eligible for a $3,000 to $5,000

annual profit-sharing bonus. Restaurant operators also would be listed as investors as well. Bally’s, meanwhile, is offering Richmond an upfront payment of $100 million plus an additional share of gaming revenue, though Marc Crisafulli, Bally’s executive vice president, declined to be specific. The company also would invest $3 million a year in a program that provides vouchers for its players to spend at small businesses in Richmond. The company is proposing a $650 million development on 61 acres that abuts the Powhite and Chippenham parkways in South Side. The project is to include a large casino, a 250-room upscale hotel and generate much of its power needs through solar energy. The company also will include a 45,000 square-foot events space that will include a 3,000-seat concert venue and create a green space that includes wetlands that will not be disturbed. To meet objections raised by 4th District Councilwoman Kristen N. Larson over potential traffic congestion on Forest Hill Avenue, Bally’s announced Wednesday it would build a new entry and exit road into the property that will start at Jahnke Road in front of the Boulders complex and near the ramps to and from the expressways. Mr. Crisafulli noted the project, after construction, is projected to generate 2,000 jobs paying an average of $52,000 a year and a minimum of $15 an hour. Bally’s also has Black investors in the project, including football great and Willie Lanier Sr., as well as his son, and Warren Thompson, owner and operator of Thompson Hospitality, which operates university cafeterias and is engaged in catering. The company also said that the city’s goal of 40 percent minority inclusion in supplier and vendor opportunities would be met, and that the company is working with Mr. Thompson to ensure full ownership inclusion in the multiple restaurants. Bally’s has not disclosed the percentage the Black investors would own, and it has not yet disclosed the construction team. The Cordish Companies plan to replace the 17-acre Bow Tie movie theater complex

at Arthur Ashe Boulevard and Leigh Street with its Live! brand casino-resort. The company is not proposing an upfront payment to the city, according to spokesperson Cari Furman. Instead, the company projects providing about $30 million a year in gaming tax revenues to the city yearly, or about $10 million more than the city is projected to gain as its share of the state gaming tax. The company also is promising to create a community benefit fund that would donate an average of $13.3 million to help fund community services, such as infrastructure, education, health care, parks and recreation, affordable housing and workforce training and development. The company has pledged that Black and minority investors would have a 50 percent ownership stake in the casinoresort. The company is planning a $600 million development, including a hotel with 330 rooms and suites, that also would offer a parade of diverse restaurants and entertainment options. After construction, the company projects the development would require 3,000 employees with pay averaging above $60,000 with a $15 an hour minimum. The company’s chief operating officer, Zed Smith, who is Black, said the company has a track record of minority inclusion for its existing casino operations in Florida, Maryland, Pennsylvania and Texas. Black investors include contractor Langston Davis along with former NFL players Bruce Smith and Jermon Bushrod and his family. The construction team Cordish has lined up includes three Black-owned companies, Davis Brothers Construction and Canterbury Enterprises, both of Richmond, and Mark Turner Construction of Hampton. Cordish, though, is facing community opposition, with 2nd District Councilwoman Katherine Jordan stating she would oppose the project in large part because of the congestion and other problems it might create for the nearby and flourishing Scott’s Addition. All three casino proposals project attracting about 3.6 million visitors a year after completion.


Richmond Free Press

Actions

Speak

Louder Words have value, especially when they are used to make a promise. But the most important thing about a promise is the action you take afterward. At Dominion Energy, we believe in taking action – to deliver on our commitment to help people, communities, and the environment.

COVID-19 Response and Support In response to the pandemic’s economic impact, Dominion Energy has stepped up to meet the needs of our customers. We suspended all service disconnections for non-payment to provide uninterrupted, reliable service 24/7. We have given more than $1 million to support coronavirus relief efforts by the American Red Cross and other nonprofits, to help our communities in need.

Social Justice and Higher Education At Dominion Energy, we believe higher education is critical to addressing centuries of institutional racism. That is why we have committed $35 million to our initiative supporting historically Black colleges and universities, and to minority student scholarships. In addition, we have allocated another $5 million to promote social justice and community building.

Solar and Wind Energy To build a cleaner energy future, we have added more than 3.6 million solar panels throughout Virginia, helping to make us America’s third largest in solar. In addition, we are developing the largest offshore wind project in the U.S., which will produce enough energy to power up to 660,000 homes by 2026.

EnergyShare® For years, our EnergyShare® program has helped our neighbors across Virginia, assisting individuals and their families with bill payment and energy saving upgrades. As of today, the program has helped more than 858,000 people. In 2020, we expanded the EnergyShare® program to assist those impacted by the coronavirus with an additional $500,000 to help provide energy bill relief for small businesses, nonprofits, and houses of worship throughout Virginia.

Lower Rates And to help residential customers, we have kept our rates more than 10%* below the national average.

Turning promises into reality is what defines us. That is why we are proud to invest in what we believe in, and what we know is important to you.

*Source: U.S. Energy Information Administration, as of 1/26/2021

April 1-3, 2021 A5


Richmond Free Press

A6 April 1-3, 2021

Local News

Area churches to celebrate Easter in various, special ways By George Copeland Jr.

Area churches are ready to celebrate Easter by welcoming congregants back to services both inside their sanctuaries and some outdoors. With nearly 30 percent of Virginians receiving at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine and the state easing some restrictions on indoor gatherings beginning April 1, some churches, including Cedar Street Baptist Church of God, are using Easter to bring people back together inside. The Church Hill congregation will be holding services open to all at 7:45 and 10 a.m. Sunday, with music, liturgical dancers and various COVID-10 safety measures in place to follow state guidelines. “This day has historically been marked as a high attendance day in the life of the church,” said Rosemary R. Harris, executive assistant to the pastor, Dr. Anthony M. Chandler Sr. “It is now our responsibility that we examine all areas of safety to ensure that everyone entering the building sees our progress.”

Thirty-first Street Baptist Church in the East End also plans to have in-person worship for Resurrection Sunday with limited seating. People are asked to reserve space on the church’s website, 31sbc.org. Masks will be required. Rev. Moore For Rev. Christopher Moore Sr., pastor of New Kingdom Christian Ministries, Easter will be celebrated with a one-hour service in the parking lot of the Dill Avenue church, where the congregation will be seated in chairs while socially distanced. The goal is to provide a more communal atmosphere for those who want it, Rev. Moore said. The service also will be livestreamed. “We thought Easter would be a great time to allow some people to come together,” said Rev. Moore, recalling that the church held a drive-in service last Easter. “The only expectation I have is I expect us to rejoice and celebrate what we call the pinnacle of our church.”

Moore Street Missionary Baptist Church is holding a 10 a.m. drive-in service Sunday at Virginia Union University’s Hovey Field parking lot. “Come as you are, stay in your car,” the church advertises. Not all churches are Dr. Bond planning to change from the online services they have been conducting since this time last year. Ebenezer Baptist Church in Jackson Ward and St. Philip’s Episcopal Church in North Side have opted to use entirely virtual services for Easter Sunday, as they did last year. While they will feature some special touches for some of their services, such as a violin performance at Ebenezer Baptist, their plans are rooted in providing smooth and fulfilling services while avoiding potential infections among their congregation. “We are doing our best to protect our membership, and one of the ways we felt we could

Eggleston Hall

Trinkle Hall

Byrd Hall

do that was by staying out of the building for a little while longer,” said Dr. Adam L. Bond, who started at the church on March 1 last year and was at the forefront of the church’s efforts to adjust to the pressures of the pandemic. “We don’t want to put anybody in any potential harm in terms of being in such close quarters and with the potential of spreading anything to anyone who might not be protected at this point, especially our children.” Dr. Bond sees the Easter occasion as one that can impart meaningful lessons on “the other side of disappointment” and beginning life anew. “I believe that Easter this year, especially at this pivotal moment in our nation’s history with this pandemic and everything else, is a great opportunity,” Dr. Bond said. “This is a great opportunity, a great moment, in which we can hear through the Easter methods that we don’t have to remain down, that God is inviting us to get up. “I think this Sunday can be a great moment in which we are all inspired and encouraged to see the brighter days that are ahead.”

Vawter Hall

VSU to eliminate names of white supremacists from campus buildings Free Press staff report

Virginia State University is removing the names of four campus buildings that officials said “do not reflect the rich heritage and spirit” of the school. The VSU Board of Visitors last week approved the removal of signs from Byrd Hall, Eggleston Hall, Trinkle Hall and Vawter Hall. Officials said the signs will be removed immediately and replaced with signs calling them Building B, Building E, Building T and Building V until a re-naming committee identifies individuals for consideration for the new names. “The decisions to name a building or space identified with an historical individual should meet a high standard based on research and deliberation,” Tonya S. Hall, VSU vice president for external relations, stated in a news release. “The new names will take into account the current mission, support and values of Virginia State University.” The committee is made up of a mix of VSU professors, staff, student organization representatives and alumni. Byrd Hall, a freshman female residence hall, was named

for former Virginia Gov. and U.S. Sen. Harry F. Byrd Sr., who championed “Massive Resistance” to school desegregation despite the 1954 U.S. Supreme Court ruling finding racially “separate but equal” schools unconstitutional. Gov. Northam signed legislation in March, sponsored by Delegate Jay Jones of Norfolk, to remove the statue of Mr. Byrd from Capitol Square in Downtown. Eggleston Hall, also a freshman female residence hall, was named for Dr. Joseph D. Eggleston, a former member of the VSU board who became president of Virginia Tech in 1913. During his tenure as Virginia’s state superintendent of public instruction, Dr. Eggleston helped expand state funding for education, but the needs of Black students and schools were neglected, Ms. Hall said. Trinkle Hall, built in 1929 for female students, is now used as an administrative building. It was named for former Gov. Elbert Lee Trinkle, who served during the Jim Crow era from 1922 to 1926. He signed into law the Virginia Sterilization Act of 1924, which was used to sterilize people deemed “mental defectives.” He also signed the Racial Integrity Act, which prohibited interracial marriage in the state.

Vawter Hall, one of the oldest buildings on the VSU campus, was named in 1908 after former VSU Rector Charles E. Vawter, who served as captain in the Confederate army. Meanwhile, the University of Richmond Black Student Coalition held a silent protest March 26 on that campus in the wake of the refusal by the UR Board of Trustees and President Ronald Crutcher to rename two buildings honoring a slave owner and a segregationist. Dr. Crutcher and the UR board issued separate statements on March 23 asserting that Ryland Hall, named for the school’s first president, slave owner Rev. Robert Ryland, Freeman Hall, named for Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and staunch segregationist Douglas Southall Freeman, would remain. In late February, the board and president announced that Freeman Hall’s name would be changed to Mitchell-Freeman Hall, by adding the name of crusading Black newspaperman and civil rights and anti-lynching advocate John Mitchell Jr. Faculty members also have joined students in demanding that the names paying homage to Mr. Freeman and Rev. Ryland be dropped. Students also are asking for more mental health resources for students experiencing racism on campus.

$3.7B deal paves way for better rail service from DC to RVA By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Hourly passenger train service between Richmond and Washington is still years away. But the vision for faster and more frequent service took a big step forward Tuesday in Alexandria. Gov. Ralph S. Northam went to Northern Virginia and signed agreements on a $3.7 billion deal involving Amtrak, freight train giant CSX and Virginia Railway Express, the

Fredericksburg-area commuter rail service provider. The deal allows the state to repurchase the former Richmond, Fredericksburg and Potomac rail line that CSX has long owned and clears the way for development of a second railroad bridge across the Potomac River. The new bridge will create separate lines for freight and passenger trains, which both now must cross the same 117-year-old Long Bridge, creating a

Richmond is finalist for All-American City Award Richmond is a finalist for the 2021 AllAmerican City Award, the National Civic League has announced. Virginia’s capital city is one of 20 cities the Denver-based league named as finalists. The designation will be presented to 10 of the communities following a virtual competition set to run June 7 through 9, the league stated. Richmond’s selection follows the announcement that Mayor Levar M. Stoney is on the short list for consideration for the World Mayor’s Prize, which the international City Mayors Foundation presents every two years to recognize a city leader. According to the National Civic League, Richmond and the other city finalists will gather a team of nonprofit leaders, business representatives, government officials and residents, including youths, to make a virtual presentation and participate in workshops and roundtables. The league stated that its focus this year is on recognizing community efforts to build equity and resilience. During the competition, each of the teams is to showcase the efforts and engagement strategies being used in such areas as racial healing, disaster preparedness and recovery and the environment. This is the 72nd edition of the awards program, noted the league, which a progressive coalition led by Teddy Roosevelt, Louis Brandeis, Frederick Law Olmsted and Mary Munford founded in 1894 to promote professional local governance and advance civic engagement with the goal of creating thriving communities. Richmond won the All-American City Award in 1950 and 1966.

bottleneck. Gov. Northam called the agreements and the pending state investment of $525 million essential “to fundamentally transform our transportation infrastructure.” U.S. Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg also hailed the agreements. It will take time to build the new bridge and make other improvements to the rail lines, but officials believe that by 2030, Amtrak trains could be

running hourly between Washington and Richmond. As a result of the agreement, Main Street Station in Shockoe Bottom could see an additional train this year, with five more trains to be added between 2026 and 2030, officials said. However, one issue has yet to be resolved involving Main Street Station — additional trains would require more track to be installed through Shockoe Hill Burying Ground, a historic Black burial ground, that state highway and

rail officials have yet to include in their plans. The long abandoned burial ground at 5th and Hospital streets is on its way to gaining state and federal recognition, and Richmond City Council recently cleared the way for the city to reacquire a small portion of the once sprawling cemetery at a tax sale. Decades ago, the city allowed railroad tracks to be run through the burial ground, but it is unclear if any new tracks would be allowed.

School Board expands day care program, works to get ready for reopening By Ronald E. Carrington

The Richmond School Board voted 7-0 Monday night to increase the number of students attending city learning centers by 125 beginning Friday, April 2. That will allow more students to participate in in-person learning at day care centers operating at Blackwell, Holton and Miles Jones elementary schools, Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School and Huguenot High School. Each of the five centers serves special and high-needs students in kindergarten through eighth grade, with virtual learning classes in the morning and activities in the afternoon. Currently, a total of 300 students are attending the in-person program at the schools. The board previously set a maximum of 500 students in the program, or 100 per school. The board’s action raises that to 625. On Monday, April 12, however, the centers will be open for a total of 800 students, including general education students, to receive in-person instruction. Two School Board members, Kenya Gibson, 3rd District, and Nicole Jones, 9th District, were absent from Monday’s meeting. Richmond Public Schools is continuing efforts to get all school buildings ready for reopening for in-person learning this fall. A $54 million federal CARES Act award is helping pay for installation of bipolar ionization air quality systems, repair of all HVAC systems to upgrade air quality and installation of touchless soap dispensers and sanitizing stations in hallways and restrooms in schools across the district. RPS also is in the process of completing RPS’ Bathroom Blitz project – upgrading and replacing sinks, replacing stalls and installing hands-free papers towel dispensers. The administration has

Mr. Jiggetts

Ms. Peters

budgeted for an additional 27 custodians for schools to meet industry standards. Damon Jiggetts, executive director of the Peter Paul Development Center that runs the learning center at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School, said the program has been free of COVID-19 cases since the program started in the fall. “Students in the program are performing and doing well,” Mr. Jiggetts told the Free Press. “We are doing community outreach to satisfy potential additional numbers approved by the school district.” About 60 students in second through eighth grades are enrolled, he said. Students bring their Chromebooks provided by RPS and have a safe space to log on to virtual classes as 16 Peter Paul staffers assist and ensure the students stay on task. The program also has afternoon enrichment activities, including arts and crafts, mindfulness exercises, yoga and STEM activities. The program adheres to COVID-19 protocols, Mr. Jiggetts explained, with one child per 6-foot desk. Students and staff wear masks, temperatures are checked before anyone enters the building or boards a bus and disinfecting wipes and sanitizers are used widely. Peter Paul Development Center’s buses pick children up to attend the program at the middle school.

Mr. Jiggetts said transportation and access are ongoing issues for families in the area as they can be obstacles preventing youngsters from attending the in-school day care programs. To help reduce transportation issues, Mr. Jiggetts started Red Wagon Youth Transportation Services in early March to help meet broader community needs. “I have more business than I can handle,” he was happy to admit. At Huguenot High School in South Side, the YMCA of Greater Richmond runs the day care program in a designated area of the school. Betsy Peters, the YMCA’s senior vice president of youth development, said 75 students attend and are helped by YMCA staff and counselors who are not certified teachers but ensure the students sign on to their computers and are engaged with RPS teacher-led virtual learning. In the afternoon, the YMCA’s enrichment teachers lead activities in art, STEM and sports. “We hope this fills the gap for children of what they are missing by not being in school each day,” Ms. Peters told the Free Press. “We hope this brings back some normalcy to each child.” The program space is cleaned on a daily basis according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, she said. Bathrooms are cleaned three to four times daily and a cleaning service comes on site daily to clean the classrooms. Students and staff are required to wear masks and daily temperature checks are taken, she said. Regular hand washing and sanitizing is done and social distancing is adhered to as desks are spread out for classes and meal time. Parents also are required to fill out a form telling whether they have been exposed to COVID-19 or have any symptoms.


Richmond Free Press

April 1-3, 2021 A7

Working together to create

jobs for our community At Bank of America, we continue to invest in our local communities to help create jobs and fuel economic opportunity. We’re doing this by collaborating with other companies, identifying needs and working with skill-building partners and local colleges like Virginia Commonwealth University. This effort also includes our recent $25 million investment in 21 higher education institutions including community colleges, historically Black colleges and universities and Hispanic-serving institutions. Our shared focus is on education, reskilling and up-skilling to build a pipeline of talent — and on increased commitment to hiring by major employers across our local area. Here in Richmond, my teammates and I are excited to be a part of creating more opportunities for members of our community. What would you like the power to do?®

Here’s how we’re helping to accelerate job creation in our community: Partnering with the Metropolitan Business League to advance local goals Supporting organizations that are expanding access to skill building programs and resources, including: • Goodwill of Central and Coastal Virginia • J. Sargeant Reynolds Community College • John Tyler Community College

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To learn more, please visit bankofamerica.com/community

Bank of America, N.A. Member FDIC. Equal Credit Opportunity Lender. © 2021 Bank of America Corporation. All rights reserved.


Richmond Free Press

Cherry blossoms on North Side

Editorial Page

A8

April 1-3, 2021

May this season of rebirth bring you renewed strength and joy.

Happy Easter!

Sandra Sellars/Richmond Free Press

Commemorating Dr. King’s death on Easter April 4 — ironically Easter Sunday this year — will mark the 53rd anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., an historical date that I am willing to bet at least 75 percent of young Black folks under 40 are almost totally unaware of. Even most of those over 40 may have forgotten that this is the date that we should commemorate the memory of Dr. King as a warrior who left us with serious guidance in his book, “Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?” That guidance includes the following: “Black Power is also a call for the pooling of black financial resources to achieve economic security period. While the ultimate answer to the Negro’s dilemma will be found in a massive federal program for

all the poor along the lines of A. Philip Randolph’s Freedom Budget, a kind of Marshall Plan for the disadvantaged, there is something that the Negro himself can do to throw off the shackles of poverty. Although the Negro is still at the bottom of the economic ladder, his collective annual income is upwards of $30 billion. This gives him a considerable buying

A. Peter Bailey power that can make the difference between profit and loss in many businesses. Through the pooling of such resources and the development of habits of thrift and techniques of wise investment, the Negro will be doing his share to grapple with his problem of economic deprivation. If Black Power means the development of this kind of strength in the Negro community then it is a quest for basic, necessary, legitimate power.”

Another example of serious guidance from Dr. King is that “In assessing the results of the Negro Revolution so far, it can be concluded that Negroes have established a foothold, no more ... the hard truth is that neither Negroes nor whites has yet done enough to expect the dawn of a new day. While much has been done, it has been accomplished by too few and on a scale too limited for the breadth of the goal. Freedom is not won by passive acceptance of suffering ... the brunt of the Negro’s past battles was borne by a very small striking force. Though millions were ardent and passionate supporters, only a modest number were actively engaged and these were too few for a broad war against racism, poverty and discrimination.” Note Dr. King’s use of the word “war.” Dr. King also wrote: “The majority of white Americans consider themselves sincerely committed to justice for the Negro. They believe that American

Please ignore the former president The former president, also known as 45 or the Orange Man, or the Nutty Narcissist, kept our nation with his insanity for more than four years. President Biden is best advised to ignore his predecessor and should not even stoop to mention his name. Why not? The nation, even his rabid supporters, know the former was out of line, out of order and out of control. He also is desperate for the attention that even his Conservative Political Action Conference, or CPAC, sycophants could not offer. Reality can be grating, especially when someone accustomed to adulation finds the applause tepid, the plane out of order, the taxes under review and more. President Biden gave the former too much air in even mentioning his name at his March 25 press conference. The press behaved as badly as President Biden. They focused on immigration, a Republican talking point that invokes the former, instead of concentrating on COVID-19 and vaccinations, about which most Americans care. Not one question about COVID? Who are these press members and what is wrong with them? If you polled people, the pandemic would rank much higher on a priority scale than immigration. But like sharks smelling blood in the water, or

a possible Biden weakness, they surrounded and pounced — or whatever sharks do. Meanwhile, several topics got short shrift in the hourlong press conference. The president likened the filibuster to Jim Crow law, but he shillyshallied around what he will do about it. President Biden, you have condemned racism, discrimination and Jim Crow in the

Julianne Malveaux past. Why can’t you come out more forcefully against the filibuster? You’ve had strong words about the new voter suppressing Georgia laws. Why won’t you commit to federal action to ensure that we all have the right to vote? Are you expecting a message in a bottle? Georgia Republicans seem to think that voting activists can send them. Otherwise, why would they make it illegal for people to offer a simple, humane gesture to people who have been standing in line for hours — a bottle of water? What could be more benign than handing someone standing in line for hours a bottle of water and a bag of chips or an apple? If President Biden got a message from a bottle I handed him, it would say, “Be firm, be firm. This racist attack on our democracy must not be tolerated.” We must consider President Biden’s point about timing. He knows the Senate better than most, knows his former colleagues well enough to know

their sensibilities. But he must also understand the nature of racist intransigence. Many Senate Republicans have chosen partisanship and obstruction over integrity and decency. Few of them are willing to retreat from their line in the sand. President Biden must understand, though, that he would not be our nation’s elected leader if the laws that Georgia just passed existed in November 2020 or January 2021. There would be no U.S. Sens. Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff, no Georgia electoral votes, no democracy. Instead, there would have been the continuation of anarchy, with the former president resting on his laurels, spewing more lies. President Biden inherited a mess, no question. Still, he should never refer to the former and the mess he left again. He might respond to any questions about the former with a dismissive, “The former is irrelevant.” The former needs to be treated as such. Whether it is immigration, COVID-19, the economy or more, it’s President Biden’s ball of wax now. Continuing to mention the former gives him light he does not deserve. President Biden and the rest of us should keep that name in the dark. He can probably show up on Faux News whenever he wants to, but his rants look more like empty barks when nobody calls his name. We must move forward and leave the devil in the dark. The writer is an economist, educator and author.

The Free Press welcomes letters The Richmond Free Press respects the opinions of its readers. We want to hear from you. We invite you to write the editor. All letters will be considered for publication. Concise, typewritten letters related to public matters are preferred. Also include your telephone number(s). Letters should be addressed to: Letters to the Editor, Richmond Free Press, P.O. Box 27709, 422 East Franklin Street, Richmond, VA 23261, or faxed to: (804) 643-7519 or e-mail: letters@richmondfreepress.com.

society is essentially hospitable to fair play and to steady growth toward a middle-class Utopia embodying racial harmony. But unfortunately this is a fantasy of self-deception and comfortable vanity.” The above are not the words of a dreamer, something that the forces behind his assassination were well aware of. Dr. King’s words are those of a perceptive warrior in the war against white supremacy and are just as relevant in 2021 as when he wrote them in 1967. We Black folks will continue to deceive ourselves if we choose to ignore them as a guide for action. The writer is an author and journalist based in Washington.

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Richmond Free Press

April 1-3, 2021 A9

Commentary

Surviving — and thriving — through the pandemic Before the unimaginable disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Claflin University was teeming with unbridled optimism, buoyed by the recognition the university and the men’s basketball program had received during the 2020 CIAA Basketball Tournament in Charlotte, N.C. The men’s team had upset top-seeded Virginia State University to advance to the tournament’s semifinal. Senior Faith McKie, a sports management major from Columbia, S.C., became

Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack the second consecutive Miss Claflin to win the Miss CIAA Pageant sponsored by Food Lion and several other students won scholarships and prizes in CIAA-sponsored competitions. Most students were leaving campus for spring break and we were weeks away from my official installation as Claflin’s ninth president. Then came the news that this potentially deadly virus had reached the United States. Claflin and other colleges and universities across the nation entered unchartered territory. No “Best Practices” manual for the coronavirus was in existence. However, our guidance was our commitment to maintaining the health and safety of our students and the campus community. We announced that effective March 23, 2020, all classes would be held online or on virtual platforms through the remainder of the spring 2020 semester. The university did not close; we transitioned to a predominately virtual environment. There were palpable concerns: Will our faculty be able to deliver the same innovative studentfocused academic programs using distance learning? How will we recruit and retain exceptional scholars? How will Claflin survive? Fast forward to the present and Claflin and many other historically black colleges and universities have not only survived — but we also have thrived! Paid Political Advertisement

Who could have predicted that Claflin would achieve a 9.3 percent increase in freshman enrollment or that we would welcome 564 talented new scholars for the 2020-21 academic year? Who would have dared guess that we would achieve a historic fundraising total as donations soared to more than $30 million? Included was a $20 million transformational gift from philanthropist MacKenzie Scott, and substantial donations from Zoom, Blue Cross Blue Shield of South Carolina and Dominion Energy. Gilead Inc. donated more than $500,000 to support our new Center for Social Justice. Other companies and businesses donated to scholarship programs and initiatives through the Friends and Family Annual Fund Campaign. The contributions of Claflin alumni spearheaded our COVID-19 Emergency Fund that was used to purchase mobile devices to enhance internet access for students in rural areas. Financial assistance from the federal CARES ACT and other federal and state emergency relief funds were critical to our ability to effectively serve our students and the campus community. Our national rankings remained intact. Claflin was ninth in U.S. News and World Report’s ranking of the nation’s best HBCUs, the 10th consecutive year Claflin has been listed in the Top 10. We also ranked ninth in its “Best Regional Colleges in the South” category, reaffirming Claflin’s status as a premier higher education institution that happens to be an HBCU. Our scholars continued their academic success when we transitioned—first to 100 percent virtual teaching and learning platforms, then to offering courses both online and in the classroom. But this was nothing new. We launched Claflin Online in 2014, becoming one of the first HBCUs to offer online degree completion programs. The same inexhaustible resilience that brought Claflin through natural disasters, several oncampus fires, unstable economies, social and political inequity and other catastrophic events during our more than 150-year history is alive today in our alumni, students, faculty, staff and other stakeholders. Claflin has thrived because of our value proposition and our enduring legacy for improving the lives of residents within our

local communities, the state and beyond. A study commissioned by the UNCF, “HBCUs Make America Strong: The Positive Economic Impact of Historically Black Colleges and Universities,” revealed that Claflin University generates $79 million in total economic impact for its local and regional economies and that South Carolina’s eight HBCUs generate more than $460 million across the state. The report also announced that the economic impact of HBCUs nationwide is nearly $15 billion. Our campus environment is much different now from a year ago. I remain hopeful, but I realize our lives, the nation and the world may Paid Political Advertisement

never return to what they were. Life is about adapting to change, and our accomplishments during the past year reflect Claflin’s ability to reimagine our processes and strategies to meet the needs of our constituents, despite the pandemic. My “Claflin Confidence” tells me that our university “On a Hilltop High” and other HBCUs will remain relevant and continue to thrive in the years ahead due to our immeasurable contributions to every aspect of culture and society. Dr. Dwaun J. Warmack is president of Claflin University, a CIAA-affiliated school in Orangeburg, S.C. Paid Political Advertisement

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A10 April 1-3, 2021

Richmond Free Press

Congratulations to these outstanding principals, recognized by the

2021 R.E.B. Awards for Distinguished Educational Leadership These educators exemplify leadership by supporting their teachers, inspiring their students and building positive relationships between their school and community.

LaShante’ Knight Salem Church Middle School Chesterfield

Lisa Thompson Washington-Henry Elementary School Hanover

Ryan Stein Greenwood Elementary School Henrico

Latonya Waller Thomas C. Boushall Middle School Richmond

The following candidates were selected as runners up: Lindsay Porzio Crestwood Elementary School, Chesterfield Leigh Finch John M. Gandy Elementary School, Hanover Leigh Dunavant Mills E. Godwin High School, Henrico Tiawana Giles George W. Carver Elementary School, Richmond

Together, we do more good To learn more about the program and 2021 honorees, visit: www.cfrichmond.org/rebprincipals

Community Foundation for a greater Richmond | 3409 Moore Street, Richmond 23230 | 804.330.7400


Richmond Free Press

April 1-3, 2021 A11

Sports

Stories by Fred Jeter vs.

NCAA Men’s Final Four Semifinals: Saturday, April 3 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, Ind.

Houston vs. Baylor 5 p.m.

vs.

vs.

vs.

Anna Wilson helps Stanford advance in NCAA

NCAA Women’s Final Four Semifinals: Friday, April 2 at Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas

Gonzaga vs. UCLA 8:30 p.m.

Stanford vs. South Carolina 6 p.m.

Final: Monday, April 5, 9 p.m. Games to be broadcast on CBS Television and Westwood One radio

Connecticut vs. Arizona 9:30 p.m.

Final: Sunday, April 4, 6 p.m. Games to be broadcast on ESPN

Anticipation builds for weekend’s NCAA Final Four matches Longtime hoops fans recall day’s NCAA Tournament when the University of Houston semifinals. was renowned as “Phi Slamma In posting a 28-3 reJamma.” cord under Coach Kelvin Those airborne Cougars earned Sampson, Houston has their wings by reaching the Final hoisted 804 three-balls Four three straight years, 1982 with 285 connections. through 1984, losing in the Leading scorer Quintsemifinals in 1982 and finals in en Grimes (18 points per 1983 and 1984. game) is 99-for-240 from In keeping with the catchy Kelvin Sampson the distance. In defeating nicknames, the team’s current Oregon State 67-61 in edition might be called “The Threedom the Midwest Region finals, Houston Fighters.” launched 32 3-pointers (making 11 of Few bomb from the distance like them) out of 62 total field goal tries. the Houston 2021 team that is set to Coach Sampson, 65, seeks to become face Baylor of Waco, Texas, in Satur- the first-ever Native American coach to

Kim English newest addition to Division I head coaching ranks Kim English is the latest addition to NCAA Demographics Database. the small ranks of Black head basketball Black assistant coaches at Division I coaches at NCAA Division I schools. schools make up 48 percent of the total, The Baltimore native and former according to the same survey. All Big-12 standout at the University Among the 68 programs competing of Missouri has been hired as the new in the 2021 NCAA Tournament, 12 have head coach at George Mason University Black coaches. That includes two from in Fairfax. HBCUs, Coach Robert Jones Most recently, Coach Engof Norfolk State University lish was the assistant coach and Coach Johnny Jones of under Rick Barnes at the Texas Southern University. University of Tennessee. Others are Coach Leonard Coach English, 32, sucHamilton of Florida State, ceeds Coach Dave Paulsen Coach Juwan Howard of who in six seasons was Michigan, Coach Shaka Smart 95-91 overall and 47-57 in of Texas, Coach Mike BoynKim English the Atlantic 10 Conference ton of Oklahoma State and affiliate. Coach Cuonzo Martin of Missouri. Coach English becomes the second Also Coach Isaac Brown of Wichita, Black head coach at GMU. Coach Paul Coach Dennis Gates of Cleveland Hewitt served in that capacity from 2011 State, Coach Ritchie McKay of Liberty, through 2015. Coach Patrick Ewing of Georgetown Coach English will become the fifth and Coach Shantay Legans of Eastern Black coach in the 14-school Atlantic Washington. 10 Conference. Others are Coach AnThe only Black coaches to lead their thony Grant at Dayton, Coach Jamion teams to the NCAA title are Coach John Christian at George Washington, Coach Thompson of Georgetown in 1984, Ashley Howard at LaSalle and Coach Coach Nolan Richardson of Arkansas David Cox at Rhode Island. in1995, Coach Tubby Smith of KenA-10 member Fordham University is tucky in 1998 and Coach Kevin Ollie currently in search of a head coach. of Connecticut in 2014. Nationwide, only about 28 percent Houston coach Kelvin Sampson was of the head coaches at NCAA Division born in the Lumbee Indian community I schools are African-American. That of Deep Branch in Robeson, N.C. He compares to about 56 percent of scholar- starred in basketball at UNC-Pembroke, ship players according to the 2018-19 affiliated with the Lumbee Tribe.

win the NCAA crown. weekend in San Antonio. Coach Sampson grew The Huskies will play Arizona up in the Lumbee Indian on Friday, April 2, in the national community of Robeson semifinals. County, N.C. His son, UConn is 28-1 after defeating Kellen, has served as his Baylor 69-67 in the final of the Houston assistant since RiverWalk Division. 2014. His father, Ned, The Huskies have reached was a longtime coach at the Final Four each season since the University of North 2008, although the 2020 NCAA Carolina-Pembroke, a Tournament was canceled due to Olivia Nelsonschool affiliated with the the pandemic. Ododa Lumbee tribe. Coach Sampson starred at UConn has won a record 11 chamPembroke before becoming a coach. pionships overall, with a record 21 In 1982, Coach Sampson coached NCAA appearances. Oklahoma to the NCAA Final Four, There is a bit of a local connection falling to Indiana in the semifinals. on the current roster. Center Olivia u Nelson-Ododa is the sister of former Some things never change in women’s University of Richmond player Alonzo basketball. Nelson-Ododa. The ball is round. The rim is 10 feet The 6-foot-5 Olivia Nelson-Ododa high. And the University of Connecticut from Winder, Ga., averages 13 points goes to the Final Four, or so it seems. and eight rebounds and has a team best Coach Geno Auriemma’s Huskies 52 blocked shots. She is the American are heading to their 13th – that’s right, Athletic Conference Co-Defensive a record 13th—straight Final Four this Player of the Year.

Anna Wilson didn’t disappoint her big brother. With Russell Wilson cheering enthusiastically from the bleachers, Anna put on a show with Stanford University’s Anna Wilson NCAA Tournament Sweet 16 win over Missouri State University 89-62 in San Antonio last Sunday. The 5-foot-9 redshirt senior had 13 points, six rebounds, three steals and two assists as The Cardinal advanced to the Elite Eight. Stanford was to play Louisville Tuesday night in the Alamo Region final. A win would send Stanford to its 14th Final Four. Wilson, who was the Pac19 Co-Defensive Player of the Year, has started all 30 games for Stanford this season, averaging about five points. The daughter of Tammy Wilson and the late Harrison B. Wilson III of Richmond, Anna starred at Collegiate School in Western Henrico prior to transferring to Bellevue High near Seattle as a senior. Russell Wilson also starred at Collegiate before achieving fame at North Carolina State and the University of Wisconsin. He is currently the quarterback of the NFL Seattle Seahawks.

Shaka Smart exits Texas for Marquette As it turns out, Coach Shaka Smart’s most daunting opponent wasn’t so much the other teams he faced as it was the NBA. Coach Smart, who recently resigned as head basketball coach at the University of Texas to head to Marquette University, lost 86 games in six seasons in Austin. He also lost three star centers to the NBA after each had played just one college season. Had those three current NBA players stayed longer, the outcome for the Texas Longhorns would have likely been brighter. Coach Smart was a victim of his own success with his aggressive recruitment. For three straight years he landed a blue-chip big man. For three straight years, those bigs were one and done, leaving college for the NBA. Each decided to play for pay rather than a scholarship. The first to go was 6-foot-11 Jarrett Allen in the 2016-17 season. The San Diego native sparkled for one year under Coach Smart before becoming the NBA’s 22nd overall pick by the Brooklyn Nets in 2017.

Then came Harlem native Mohamed “Mo” Shaka Smart Bamba for the 2017-18 season. The 7-foot Bamba was so brilliant in one campaign that he became sixth overall NBA draft pick, by the Orlando Magic, in 2018. Next up was 6-foot-11 Oklahoman Jaxson Hayes for the 2018-19 season. Hayes showed All-American skills before becoming the eighth overall NBA draft pick by the Atlanta Hawks in 2019. He now plays for the New Orleans Pelicans. Overall, Coach Smart was 109-86 in Texas but just 52-56 in Big 12 games and 0-3 in the NCAA Tournament, most recently a humbling first round loss on March 20 to cross-state rival Abilene Christian University. That came after the Longhorns won the Big 12 Tournament for the

first time under Coach Smart. Around Richmond, Coach Smart’s star is still shining. The creator of “Havoc,” he posted a 163-56 mark in six seasons at Virginia Commonwealth University, highlighted by a 2011 run to the Final Four. Following each VCU season, Coach Smart was schmoozed by other schools with coaching vacancies, including one year by Marquette University in Milwaukee. Coach Smart, who grew up in Madison, Wis., might consider the latest move a homecoming. Marquette, which is part of the Big East Conference, has a rich tradition of its own. The Catholic school won the NCAA title in 1977 under Coach Al McGuire and has been to three NCAA Final Fours. The Golden Eagles’ all-time greats include Dean Meminger, Maurice Lucas, Doc Rivers, Jimmy Butler, Dwyane Wade, Butch Lee and many others. One reason Coach Smart was so attractive to Marquette was for his talents in recruiting some of the nation’s best players. But as Texas learned, sometimes

NSU and former Freeman H.S. runners win All-American status You don’t have to be born in America to become an All-American. Kiara Grant and Waleed Suliman can attest to that. Grant is a Norfolk State University senior who arrived on campus from her native Jamaica. Last week, she finished third in the 60-meter dash at the NCAA Division I Indoor Championships in Fayetteville, Ark. Suliman, a former Douglas Free-

man High School sensation who is now a senior at the University of Mississippi, finished third in the mile in Fayetteville. Suliman came to the United States from Jordan. The top eight at the NCAA Nationals, regardless of national origin, are awarded All-America status. Grant covered the 60 meters in 7.16 seconds, trailing only Kemba Nelson of Oregon (7.05) and Twanisha Terry

of Southern California (7.14). Suliman’s third-place mile time was 3:57.26. He finished behind Oregon’s Coke Hocker (3:53.7) and Alabama’s Eliud Kipsang (3:55.93). As a student at Freeman High School in Henrico County, Suliman won 10 state championships in track and cross country. His times of 4:04 for 1,600 meters, 4:04.3 for the mile and 14:49 for the 5K are the best of any athlete in Richmond area history.

Suliman, who has attained U.S. citizenship, will now focus on the U.S. Trials for the 2021 Summer Olympics. The trials are set for June 18 through 27 in Eugene, Ore. The Olympics are scheduled for July 23 through Aug. 8 in Tokyo. Suliman is eligible for both the U.S. and Sudanese Olympic squads. His parents are from The Sudan and he would have the option of trying out for the Sudanese Olympics squad. He

Kiara Grant

Waleed Suliman

was never a citizen of Jordan. Grant is a Jamaican citizen and will attempt to make her native homeland’s always strong team.

Ghamani Hogue brings home winnings from the State 3A track meet Ghamani Hogue looks at track and field meets as being like an all-you-can-eat buffet. And she comes hungry. The Maggie L. Walker Governor’s School senior put on a show to remember March 2 at Liberty University, placing in five events and helping the Dragons to the State 3A runner-up finish. “She was almost like a one-girl track team that day,” said veteran Walker Coach Jim Holdren. Like a 5-foot-4 whirlwind in Walker green and gold togs and flowing blue braids, Hogue won the 55-meter hurdles in 8.78 seconds. Prior to the hurdles, she was fifth in the long jump (15-4 ½) and sixth in the triple jump (33-7 ¾), no easy task considering the events were held simultaneously on different runways. “From the moment I entered the facility, I was doing stuff non-stop,” Hogue said. “I just kept going back and forth.” She finished her busy day racing legs on the Dragons’ fourth-place, 4x400 relay and fifth-place

4x200 relay team. With Hogue the primary contributor, Walker scored 46 points, second behind Western Albemarle in a 28-school field from around the Commonwealth. Teammate Kaitlyn Baker also made some loud noise, taking second (10-foot) in the pole vault. “That’s another thing about Ghamani,” said Coach Holdren. “She can also pole vault, although we didn’t use her in that because she had so many other events.” Normally a two-day event, the state meet was held in one day due to pandemic modifications. That meant less recovery time between events. Hogue was born in New York City and lived in Chesterfield County and Petersburg before her family settled in Hopewell. She commutes some 23 miles one way from Hopewell to Walker’s Lombardy Street campus each day. Walker is a regional school requiring an application process. Only the brightest and most

talented are accepted. “I remember how overjoyed I was when I got my Governor’s School acceptance,” Hogue said. “I was ecstatic.” Rarely does she leave for home at the sound of the final school bell. Along with indoor and outdoor track, she is a front line performer on the Dragons’ volleyball team. Hogue’s track and field roots can be traced to when she was an eighth-grader at Hopewell’s Carter G. Woodson Middle School. She was able to compete for Hopewell High School on the “sub varsity” team. Her scores did not count in the varsity meets, yet she made an impression. Coach Holdren, who rarely knows of his athletes until they arrive on campus as freshmen, recalls getting “either an e-mail or text” from the Hopewell coaching staff. “They told me I was getting a special young lady,” said Coach Holdren. “In this case, special was an understatement. I lucked out on Ghamani.”


A12  April 1-3, 2021

Richmond Free Press

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April 1-3, 2021 B1

Richmond Free Press

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Richmond Free Press

B2 April 1-3, 2021

Happenings LOS ANGELES Eddie Murphy was inducted into the NAACP Image Awards Hall of Fame at the organization’s show that highlighted works by entertainers and athletes of color. After Mr. Murphy accepted his award Saturday night, the actor-comedian said he was “very moved” by the honor. He was presented the award by his friend and “Coming 2 America” co-star Arsenio Hall. “I’ve been making movies for 40 years now ... 40 years. This is the perfect thing to commemorate that and be brought into the hall of fame,” Mr. Murphy said. “Thank you very much. I’m very moved.” Mr. Murphy went on to send a message to Mr. Hall about his famous red leather suit from his 1983 stand-up special “Delirious.” “My red suit was not that tight Arsenio,” Mr. Murphy said. “I get a lot of cracks about that red suit. When I was rocking that red suit, that (expletive) was fly.” The hall of fame induction

Eddie Murphy, LeBron James feted during 52nd Annual NAACP Image Awards

Eddie Murphy

is bestowed on an individual who is viewed as a pioneer in their respective field and whose influence shaped the “profession for generations to come.” Previous inductees include Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, Spike Lee, Ray Charles and Sidney Poitier. The most recent honorees to be inducted were Cheryl Boone Isaacs and Paris Barclay in 2014. Mr. Murphy began his career as a stand-up comic while a teenager and eventually joined the cast of “Saturday Night Live.” He starred in the box office hit “48 Hours” and made his mark in a slew of films such as “Beverly Hills Cop,” “Coming to America,” “The Nutty Professor,” “Dr. Dolittle” and “Dolemite Is My

LeBron James

Name.” His latest film “Coming 2 America” was released on Amazon in March. The awards ceremony virtually aired live on BET. It was also simulcast on CBS, MTV, VH1, MTV2, BET HER and LOGO. “Black-ish” star and comedian Anthony Anderson hosted the show for the eighth consecutive year. The late Chadwick Boseman won best actor in a motion picture for his role in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.” The actor, who also starred in the blockbuster Marvel film “Black Panther,” died at 43 last year after he privately battled colon cancer. “As always, he would give all honor and glory to the most high God,” said the teary-eyed

Happy birthday Dorothy I. Height

Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

Taylor Simone Ledward, the actor’s widow, who accepted the award on his behalf. “He would thank his mom and dad. And he would give honor to his ancestors as we now honor him. “Thank you, NAACP, for always giving him his flowers,” Ms. Ledward continued. “He was an uncommon artist and an even more uncommon person.” Ms. Ledward spoke about how many Black people have been diagnosed with or died from colon cancer. She urged Black people over the age of 45 to get screened. “Don’t put it off any longer,” she said. “Please, get screened. This disease is beatable if you catch it in its early stages. So you

Members of the Richmond Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority and the National Council of Negro Women, Richmond section, honor the late Dorothy I. Height, who seerved as president of both organizations, with a curbside book drive held March 25 at the Hull Street Branch of Richmond Public Library. New and gently used books were dropped off at the South Side library to benefit the library and Richmond Public Schools students around the city through the Lit Limo, which was parked at the event. The book drive was also scheduled to celebrate what would have been Ms. Height’s 109th birthday. The civil rights and women’s rights activist was born in Richmond in 1912 and was a chief organizer of the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom. She also led the desegregation of YWCAs in the nation in 1946. She served as the Delta’s 10th national president from 1947 to 1957 followed by a 40-year tenure as president of the National Council of Negro Women. Ms. Height died in 2010 at age 98. People were asked to wear a purple hat to the event to honor Ms. Height, who was known for her stylish, purple chapeaus.

don’t have any time to waste, even if you don’t have any family history. If you think nothing is wrong, and younger than 45, please be proactive about your health. Know the signs. Know your body. Listen to your body.” LeBron James received the President’s Award for his public service achievements. He thanked the NAACP for recognizing his efforts beyond the basketball court. The Los Angeles Lakers superstar was recognized for his efforts through his LeBron James Family Foundation and his I PROMISE School, a cocurricular educational initiative. Last year, he launched “More Than a Vote,” a coalition of Black athletes and artists that is dedicated to educating and protecting Black voters. Mr. James ventured into the entertainment realm with The SpringHill Company, which unites three companies he cofounded with businessman and media personality Maverick Carter, including athlete empowerment brand UNINTERRUPTED, film and television production company SpringHill Entertainment and The Robot Company, the brand and culture consultancy. “This award is so much more than myself,” Mr. James said. “I’m here receiving it, but this dives into everything that I’m a part of.” DJ D-Nice took home entertainer of the year in a competitive category against big names such as Regina King, Tyler Perry, Viola Davis and Trevor Noah. During the pandemic’s early stage, D-Nice created a virtual

remedy for anyone dealing with the lockdown blues. He hosted Homeschool at Club Quarantine on his Instagram Live, where he spun popular tunes on the turntables at his home. An array of celebrities tuned in: Rihanna, Oprah Winfrey and Mark Zuckerberg popped in for a listen. “It’s been an honor to provide entertainment and inspiration during one of the darkest times we’ve experienced,” D-Nice said. Former First Lady Michelle Obama presented activist and former Georgia state legislator Stacey Abrams with the first Social Justice Impact Award. Ms. Abrams was honored for being a political force and her voting rights work that helped turn Georgia into a swing state and helped give Democrat Joe Biden an electoral victory in the November presidential election. Her work registering new voters and boosting voter turnout in Georgia helped Democrats Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff win Georgia’s two U.S. Senate seats in January and give Democrats ultimately control of the upper chamber in Congress. Ms. Abrams paid homage to her parents for her upbringing. “They taught me and my five siblings that having nothing was not an excuse for doing nothing,” she said. “Instead, they showed us by word and deed to use our faith as a shield to protect the defenseless, to use our voices to call out injustices, and to use our education and our time to solve the problems that others turn away from.” Viola Davis took home the best actress award for her film and television roles in “Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom” and “How to Get Away with Murder.” Jazmine Sullivan gave the awards show’s first performance with “Pick Up Your Feelings.” Maxwell later performed “Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder).”

Pharrell’s cousin shot and killed by Virginia Beach Police Virginia Beach native and Grammy of “Bad Girls Club” on the Oxygen netAward-winning musician Pharrell Wil- work. She was dubbed the “Firecracker liams said Monday night that his cousin, Fashionista” on the show. Donovon Lynch, 25, was killed by police “The loss of these lives is a tragedy during a chaotic night of violence in beyond measure,” Mr. Williams wrote the oceanfront city last Friday. and posted on social media. “My cousin The Virginia Beach Police Depart- Donovon was killed during the shootment asked the State Police to ings. He was a bright investigate the officer-involved light and someone who shooting that resulted in the death always showed up for of Mr. Lynch. The body camera others. It is critical my of the officer, as well as other family and the other officers responding to the scene, victims’ families get were not turned on, according to the transparency, honVirginia Beach Police Chief Paul esty and justice they Neudigate. deserve. Virginia Beach Pharrell The NAACP and others, is the epitome of hope Williams including Mr. Williams, called and tenacity and, as a for an independent investigation into community, we will get through this the series of shootings that occurred and come out even stronger.” after 11 p.m. March 26 in which two Mr. Williams, who is from Virginia people were killed and eight others Beach, has built up much goodwill were injured. in the resort city with his multi-day Mr. Lynch, a Virginia Beach resident, Something in the Water music festival was a student-athlete at the University that drew top performers and thousands of Virginia’s College at Wise and an of fans to the resort city in 2019. The offensive lineman on the football team event pumped millions of dollars into in 2017 and 2018. the city’s economy and tax coffers with Also killed was Deshayla E. Harris, festival-goers filling hotels, restaurants 29, of Norfolk, who police described and retail shops. as an innocent bystander struck by The event was canceled in 2020 stray gunfire. because of the coronavirus pandemic. Ms. Harris was one of the reality It is being planned again for 2022, acTV stars on the 17th and final season cording to the festival’s website.

Chief Neudigate said Mr. Lynch was killed during a “police intervention shooting.” In a statement, police said two officers present said Mr. Lynch was “brandishing a handgun at the time of the shooting.” While the police department posted on its Facebook page photos of the weapons recovered after the shooting, others disputed that Mr. Lynch had a weapon. “We are not surprised of the revelation that the body camera of the officer involved in the death of Mr. Lynch was not activated,” Karen Hills Pruden, president of the Virginia Beach Branch NAACP, said in a statement. “Disciplinary actions surrounding an officer misconduct shot not be withheld from the public under the pretext ‘it’s

a personnel issue.’ This has been the case in the past. Transparency of police disciplinary is required now.” The civil rights group accused the police department of failing “on all accounts.” “The $5.5 million implementation investment on body-worn cameras is worthless when officers do not turn the camera on for recording,” Ms. Pruden stated. “Mr. Lynch is not here to tell his side! The officer involved has no reason to be forthcoming about any facts that places him in an adverse light.” The NAACP also called for creation of a citizen review board with full investigative and subpoena powers, and want police officers who use deadly force to be reviewed by a statewide board tied to officer recertification

credentials. Police department officials said once the criminal investigation is complete, “all statements and evidence will be submitted” to the Virginia Beach Commonwealth’s Attorney’s Office, which is “conducting a separate investigation into this incident, independent of” the police department. Delegate Jay Jones of Norfolk, a member of the Virginia Legislative Black Caucus who is challenging state Attorney General Mark Herring in the June 8 Democratic primary, called Sunday for an investigation by the attorney general into the shooting death. “We need far better accountability and transparency, and the families of those killed by police, in Virginia Beach and across this country, deserve answers,” he tweeted. Mr. Herring’s office responded with a statement issued on Tuesday: “An independent investigation is crucial for the public to have the most confidence in the objectivity and independence of the process and will help both the community and the Lynch family get the answers they need and deserve,” the statement said. “I called for an independent investigation into the death of Donovon Lynch and I believe (the State Police investigation) is a step in the right direction.”

Celebrating 103 Juliette Stephens Hamilton doesn’t mind telling her age. At 103, it’s a reason to celebrate. On Thursday, March 25, Mrs. Hamilton’s family and the Washington Park Civic Association honored her on her birthday by hosting a “Parade Drive-By Celebration” in front of her home in the North Side neighborhood where she was born and raised. As Mrs. Hamilton stood on the porch with her daughter, Carmen Bell, 72, a line of friends from the many chapters of her life drove by offering birthday greetings, well-wishes, long-distance hugs and presents. The front lawn of Mrs. Hamilton’s home, decorated to proclaim the big occasion, also held a table filled with flowers, cards, gifts and, during this pandemic, a large pump bottle of hand sanitizer. A 1936 graduate of Armstrong High School, Mrs. Hamilton studied at Virginia Union and Virginia State universities before enrolling in a licensed practical

Photos by Regina H. Boone/Richmond Free Press

nurse program at the former St. Philip’s School of Nursing, where she was one of the top five graduates in her class. She worked as a nurse’s aide at the former Richmond Memorial Hospital, a crossing guard for Richmond Public Schools and a nurse at the former Medical College of Virginia Hospital before retiring in 1982. Even in retirement, Mrs. Hamilton never missed a beat, sharing her time and talents volunteering with her high school alma mater’s reunion committee, the Washington Park Civic Association,

AARP and other organizations. She enjoys traveling and explored Europe extensively. She also served on the finance committee at Second Baptist Church in the West End, where she was a longtime member. She was recognized by the Virginia General Assembly on her 100th birthday in 2018. While her mind and her body are still agile, Mrs. Hamilton said she is beginning to slow down a bit these days. Her secret to a long and healthy life? “Live one day at a time and enjoy that one.”


Richmond Free Press

April 1-3, 2021 B3

Happenings

Personality: John W. Boyd Jr. Spotlight on founder-president of the National Black Farmers Association John Wesley Boyd Jr. is a man skilled in making waves, from the acres of crops in his fields to the halls of Congress in Washington, D.C. A fourth-generation farmer, Mr. Boyd is the founder and president of the National Black Farmers Association. The Mecklenburg County resident has been at the forefront of advancing the rights of minority farmers in a country and industry reluctant to acknowledge the struggles and discrimination they have faced. Most recently, Mr. Boyd helped champion the Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color Act, introduced in Congress by U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock of Georgia. The legislation provides $5 billion in debt relief, technical assistance and grants to farmers of color during the pandemic. It became part of the $1.9 trillion federal spending package known as the American Rescue Plan passed by the Congress and signed into law in mid-March by President Biden. The measure was hailed by Democrats as vital to addressing historic inequalities faced by Black farmers, in particular, for decades. Concentrated in the South, Black farmers have lost millions of acres of farmland in part because of long-term discriminatory practices by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Those practices, in which the USDA denied Black farmers loans and other assistance, led to class action lawsuits known as the Pigford cases dating to 1997. The lawsuits resulted in two settlements totaling more than $2 billion in payouts to Black farmers across the nation, the latest in 2010. Mr. Boyd, representing the NBFA, was front and center in getting Congress to recognize the discrimination by the federal agency and to push for redress. He drove his wagon, pulled by his mules 40 Acres and Struggle, from Mecklenburg County to Washington to bring attention to the issues and legislation that provided the settlement money to Black farmers and another $3.4 billion to Native Americans. Now, at a time during which COVID-19 has compounded the challenges facing minority farmers, Mr. Boyd is looking to ensure support for Black farmers and the future of Black people on their own land. “The land knows no color,” Mr. Boyd says. “If you take care of the land, the land will take care of you.” Mr. Boyd’s work with the NBFA, a nonprofit organization, continues to educate the African-American community through outreach and others across the country as he continues to push for racial equity in farming.

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His primary project now is in tackling the decline in AfricanAmerican farm families and land. COVID-19 hasn’t made it any easier with closed livestock markets and lost restaurant contracts because of mandatory stay-at-home orders. He wants to increase the number of Black farmers, with the goal of ensuring they can last for generations. Given what Black farmers have gone through in the past, Mr. Boyd is confident in their chances for success. “Black farmers are the most determined group of individuals known to mankind,” says Mr. Boyd. “We survived slavery, sharecropping and Jim Crow laws.” For advocates doing civil rights work, he offers this advice: “Don’t give up. Keep pushing forward and eventually you will get the win,” Mr. Boyd says. “The win will come when you least expect it.” Meet a dedicated advocate, farmer and this week’s Personality, John Wesley Boyd Jr.: No. 1 volunteer position: Founder and president of National Black Farmers Association. Date of birth: Sept. 4. Where I live now: Boydton in Mecklenburg County. Education: Southside Community College. Occupation: Farmer. Family: Wife, Kara Brewer Boyd; children, Wesley, Tequorra, Braven and Sydni; and parents, John Wesley Boyd Sr. and Betty Jean Boyd. National Black Farmers Association’s mission: NBFA was founded in 1985 to help Black farmers retain land ownership, gain access to state and federal programs administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and to educate the Black community about farming through effective outreach and technical assistance. Why NBFA was founded: To assist farmers facing discrimination by the USDA. Membership: 116,000. Farming and my family: I am a fourth-generation farmer

from Mecklenburg County. We were tobacco, peanut and poultry farmers, but now we raise beef cattle, corn, soybeans and wheat. I was trained by my grandfather, Thomas Boyd, and my dad, John Wesley Boyd Sr. I fell in love with the concept of owning, farming early on as a child around 9 years of age. Racial equity and farming: The land knows no color. The land never mistreated anyone. If you take care of the land, the land will take care of you. COVID-19 and Black farmers: COVID-19 has negatively impacted Black farmers. Livestock markets were closed. Several Black farmers lost restaurant contracts due to mandatory stay-at-home orders. No. 1 goal as NBFA president: To increase the number of Black farmers for generations to come. Today, we are facing extinction with less than 50,000 Black farmers. At the turn of the last century, Black farmers were 1 million farm families strong representing 14 percent of the nation’s farmers. Tilling 20 million acres of land then, we are down to 4.5 million acres today.

Frederick Douglass, to name a few.

fuel, pay labor or get your crop or livestock to market.

Federal government and Black farmers: Early on in the Black farmers movement, I was organizing in Virginia and other Southern states. It was Ray Boone, the late founder and editor of the Richmond Free Press, who helped the NBFA reach the Black community in Virginia through the pages of the Richmond Free Press. He went on to introduce me to other Black newspapers that served key roles for the NBFA in organizing Black farmers in the South.

Proudest moment: Watching President Obama sign the Claims Resolution Act of 2010 that provided $1.25 billion to Black farmers and $3.4 billion to Native Americans. I worked on the bill for 10 years.

Black farmers don’t trust the USDA. Due to decades of documented racial discrimination, many Black farmers refer to it as the “Last Plantation” instead of “The People’s Agency” created by President Lincoln after freeing the slaves. The NBFA pressed the USDA, Congress and the courts for redress due to discrimination against Black farmers in USDA farm loans and subsidies and we are proud to have led the fight for more than $2 billion in payouts to 40,000 black farm families who received $50,000 per farmer. Biggest challenge to Black farmers: Black farmers are the most determined group of individuals known to mankind. We survived slavery, sharecropping and Jim Crow laws. The biggest challenge is access to capital. Without money, you can’t buy seeds, equipment,

can’t get in the fields. Three words that best describe me: Born to farm. Best late-night snack: Pistachios. How I unwind: By taking a walk around the farm checking on crops and livestock.

Latest accomplishment: Championing the Emergency Relief for Farmers of Color Act that will provide $5 billion in debt relief, technical assistance and grants to assist farmers to stay on their farms during the COVID-19 pandemic. The debt relief for Black farmers measure took me 30 years. For young advocates doing civil rights work, don’t give up. Keep pushing forward and eventually you will get the win. The win will come when you least expect it.

What I have learned about myself during the pandemic: At times, I can be impatient. I learned that I need to be more patient with people.

What 40 acres and a mule means to me: It means to me personally my two mules, Struggle and 40 Acres. It was my father’s idea to use the mules to elevate the presence and hardships faced by Black farmers. He told me every Black person in America will know what the mule symbolized in Black farm families in the South.

Best thing my parents ever taught me: Treat others with dignity and respect.

For Black people, 40 acres and a mule symbolizes a broken promise for self-sufficiency and independence. My grandfather, Thomas Boyd, told me, “You can walk on your own land or trespass on someone else’s.”

Book that influenced me the most: “Vernon Can Read!: A Memoir” by Vernon Jordan.

How I start the day: With a cup of coffee and a check on the weather. The weather determines what I work on that day. If it is wet and raining, I

Something I love to do that most people would never imagine: Sing and dance. Quote that I am most inspired by: “The land knows no color.” At the top of my “to-do” list: Return land to Black farmers that was stolen by the USDA.

Person who influenced me the most: My grandfather, Thomas Boyd. This man was humble, dignified and full of knowledge and wisdom. His quote: “If you work every day, eventually you will be able to pay your bills. If you work every day, eventually you will succeed in life.”

What I’m reading now: “40 Chances: Finding Hope in a Hungry World” by Howard G. Buffett. Next goal: Own a tractor company producing a compact tractor every farmer, especially Black farmers, can afford.

Strategy for achieving goal: I get up every day determined to make a difference. I study those who have accomplished similar quests for justice and equality for others – Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and

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Richmond Free Press

B4 April 1-3, 2021

Faith News/Directory

Good Friday Pilgrimage April 2 in Downtown

The 6th Annual Good Friday Pilgrimage in Richmond will be held Friday, April 2, it has been announced. The 13-member Clergy Against Racism once again will host the walk through Downtown, with stops in the former Navy Hill area, at the VCU Health Center, the state Capitol and Hood Temple A.M.E. Zion Church in Jackson Ward. The pilgrimage is to begin and end at Third Street Bethel A.M.E. Church, 614 N. 3rd St., the announcement stated. The purpose: To walk together with a commitment to dismantling systems of inequity and fostering a more just, compassionate and inclusive community, according to statement

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Third Street Bethel A.M.E. Church

from the organization. The walk also seeks to remember the walk of Jesus to his crucifixion and lament both Richmond’s unhealed history of systematic racism and the crises of 2020, including the Minneapolis Police murder of George Floyd and the pandemic, the statement noted. The event also is to include a virtual town hall discussion at 5 p.m. via Zoom concerning the role people can play to create a more equitable community. Registration is required to participate in the walk or the town hall. To register, go to t.ly/ZMQB or the website of Second Presbyterian Church,

Good Shepherd Baptist Church 1127 North 28th St., Richmond, VA 23223 s Office: (804) 644-1402 Dr. Sylvester T. Smith, Pastor “There’s A Place for You”

Due to the COVID-19 Corona Virus All regular activities have been suspended until further notice. Visit https://youtu.be/qqzhnIEQyQc for inspirational messages from Pastor Smith

Zion Baptist Church

2006 Decatur Street, Richmond, VA 23224 ZBCOFFICE@VERIZON.NET • (804) 859-1985 or (804) 232-2867 Church Office Dr. Robert L. Pettis, Sr., Pastor

You may join us on Facebook Live: Zion Baptist Church (South Richmond) For Sunday Services at 10:30 AM Bible Study, Wednesdays at 7 PM Dr. Robert L. Pettis, Sr., Pastor Listeners can call: (508) 924-3234 Support us Online through the Givelify App

Broad Rock Baptist Church 5106 Walmsley Blvd., Richmond, VA 23224 804-276-2740 • 804-276-6535 (fax) www.BRBCONLINE.org

“Due to the Corona Virus Pandemic, Services Are Cancelled, until further notice; but, please join us, by visiting BRBCOnline.org or YouTube (Broad Rock Baptist Church).”

“MAKE IT HAPPEN” Pastor Kevin Cook

www.2presrichmond.org. Details: The Rev. Alex W. Evans, pastor of Second Presbyterian Church, (804) 649-9148, or the Rev. Reuben J. Boyd Jr., pastor of Third Street Bethel A.M.E. Church, (336) 687-5104. The pilgrimage started as a big group walk in 2015. Because of the pandemic, the clergy group will conduct four walks with smaller groups to maintain social distancing. The walks will take place at 9, 10 and 11 a.m. and at noon, the release stated. The initial pilgrimage began in response to the 2015 massacre of nine Black people by a white supremacist at Emanuel A.M.E. Church in Charleston, S.C. The

release stated that the annual program has become a way to “raise awareness, build bridges and deepen bonds within Richmond’s faith community on the road to dismantling racism.” Along with Revs. Boyd and Evans, the members of Clergy Against Racism include: Bishop Larry Branch, senior pastor of Love Center of Unity Full Gospel Church International; the Rev. Rebecca Branch-Griffin, pastor of Hood Temple A.M.E. Zion Church; the Rev. Roger J. Gench, theologian-in-residence at Second Presbyterian; the Rev. Gwen C. Hedgepeth, associate minister at First Union Baptist Church; and the Rev. Gary D. Jones, rector of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. Also, Rabbi Michael Knopf of Temple Beth-El; the Rev. Brent A. Melton, former rector of All Saints Episcopal Church; the Rev. David A. Whitten, pastor of West Richmond Church of the Brethren; the Rev. Drew Willson, pastor of Boulevard United Methodist Church; the Rev. Melvin F. Shearin II, pastor of Great Hope Baptist Church; and the Rev. Kathryn L. Pocalyko, pastor of Lutheran Church of Our Saviour.

“The Church With A Welcome”

Sharon Baptist Church 500 E. Laburnum Avenue, Richmond, VA 23222 www.sharonbaptistchurchrichmond.org (804) 643-3825 Rev. Dr. Paul A. Coles, Pastor

EASTER SUNDAY and HOLY COMMUNION Sunday, April 4, 2021 Morning Worship 10:00 AM Drive-In Service in our Parking Lot

See you there!

Triumphant

Rufus A. Cosby, former head of transit union local, dies at 78 Rufus Alexander Cosby, former president of GRTC’s union, has died. The Richmond native died Friday, March 19, 2021, his family said. He was 78. His life was celebrated Tuesday, March 30, in the chapel of Scott’s Funeral Home in North Side, with burial at Forest Lawn Cemetery. A career driver in his hometown, Mr. Cosby for 10 years led Local 1220 of the Amalgamated Mr. Cosby Transit Union that represents drivers, cleaners and mechanics of the regional public transit company. Active in the union, he served as secretary and treasurer before being elected to the top post. He also represented Local 1220 on the Richmond Regional Labor Council. Current drivers remember him as a committed president who served with integrity. Mr. Cosby started driving for GRTC after graduating fromArmstrong High School and serving in the U.S. Air Force for five years. After retiring from GRTC after 28 years, he drove for five years for Victory Travel. He also was a doting father, said his daughter, Robin Cosby. “He was an excellent provider and protector. We never had to worry about a thing. He always gave sound advice, but yet had a listening ear,” she said. “He was a perfect gentleman. He opened doors for women and removed his hat indoors. He was what a man should be, and my sister and I will forever love him.” Mr. Cosby also was a member of Mount Olivet Baptist Church and sang bass in the church’s Male Chorus. Later, he sang in the Trinity Choir of Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria. In addition to Ms. Cosby, survivors include another daughter, Valerie Person; a sister, Alethia Elam; and two grandsons.

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Bible Study Opportunities Thursdays: Virtual Bible Study session via Zoom, every Thursday at 7 PM. Email request to spbcoffice@stpeterbaptist.net; A new Meeting ID and password will be emailed weekly. Tithing Opportunities Download the Tithe.ly giving app for Apple and Android devices. Your gift is safe/secure and goes directly to our church.

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1408 W. Leigh Street · Richmond, Va. 23220 (804) 358—6403

Dr. Alonza L. Lawrence, Pastor

Thirty-first Street Baptist Church

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Rev. Dr. Joshua Mitchell, Senior Pastor ❖

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2604 Idlewood Avenue Richmond, Va. 23220 (804) 353-6135 www.riverviewbaptistch.org Rev. Dr. Stephen L. Hewlett, Pastor Rev. Dr. Ralph Reavis, Sr. Pastor Emeritus

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Richmond Free Press

April 1-3, 2021 B5

Legal Notices City of Richmond, Virginia CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the City of Richmond Planning Commission has scheduled a public hearing, open to all interested citizens, on Monday, April 19, 2021 at 1:30 p.m. and the Council of the City of Richmond has scheduled a public hearing on Monday, April 26, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following ordinances: Ordinance No. 2021-083 To authorize the special use of the property known as 109 North Plum Street for the purpose of no more than one dwelling unit within an accessory building to an existing single-family dwelling, upon certain terms and conditions. The current zoning for the subject property is R-6 Single-Family Attached Residential. The City’s Richmond 300 Master Plan designates the property for Neighborhood Mixed Use land use. Primary Uses: Singlefamily houses, accessory dwelling units, duplexes, small multi-family buildings (typically 3-10 units), and open space. Secondary Uses: Large multifamily buildings (10+units), retail/office/ personal service, institutional, cultural, and government. Ordinance No. 2021-084 To authorize the special use of the property known as 520 North 25th Street for the purpose of a restaurant and beverage service establishment, upon certain terms and conditions. The property is situated is situated in a R-63 Multifamily Urban Residential District. The Richmond 300 Master Plan designates the property for Community Mixed-Use land use. Primary Uses: Retail/ office/ personal service, multi-family residential, cultural, and open space. Secondary Uses: Single-family houses, institutional, and government. Ordinance No. 2021-085 To conditionally rezone the property known as 1801 East Main Street from the M-1 Light Industrial District to the TOD-1C Transit-Oriented Nodal District (Conditional), upon certain proffered conditions. The property is situated in an M-1 Light Industrial District. The City of Richmond’s Master Plan designates a future land use category for the subject property as Destination Mixed-Use. Primary uses are retail/ office/personal service, multi-family residential, cultural and open space. No residential density is specified for this land use designation. The meetings will be held through electronic communication means pursuant to and in compliance with Ordinance No. 2020-093, adopted April 9, 2020, as most recently amended by Ordinance No. 2020-232, adopted December 14, 2020. The meetings will be open to participation through electronic communication means by the public and closed to in-person participation by the public. Less than a quorum of Richmond City Planning Commission members and Richmond City Council will assemble in City Hall, located at 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, and most members and other staff will participate by teleconference/ videoconference via Microsoft Teams. The meetings will be streamed live online at the following web address: https://richmondva. legistar.com/Calendar. a s p x . To w a t c h a meeting’s live stream at the web address provided, find and click the link that reads, “In Progress” in the farthest right hand column entitled, “Video”. The agenda for the Richmond City Council meeting is accessible through the City’s legislative website at the following web address: https://richmondva. legistar.com/Calendar. aspx. To view the agenda at the web address provided, find and click the link that reads, “Agenda” associated with the April 26, 2021 Richmond City Council Formal meeting listed in the calendar. Interested citizens who wish to speak at the Richmond City Council meeting will be given an opportunity to do so by following the “Formal Meeting Citizen Participation Instructions” attached to the April 26, 2021 Richmond City Council Formal meeting agenda.

Continued from previous column

of calling in. The person responsible for receiving comments in writing is Candice D. Reid, City Clerk. All comments received prior to 10:00 a.m. on Monday, April 26, 2021, will be provided to Council members prior to the meeting and will be included in the record of the meeting. Copies of the full text of all ordinances are available by visiting the City Clerk’s page on the City’s Website at https://www.rva.gov/ office-city-clerk. Candice D. Reid City Clerk

City of Richmond, Virginia CITY COUNCIL PUBLIC NOTICE Notice is hereby given that the Council of the City of Richmond has scheduled a public hearing, open to all interested citizens, on Monday, April 12, 2021 at 6:00 p.m. to consider the following ordinances: Ordinance No. 2021-040 To adopt the General Fund Budget for the fiscal year commencing Jul. 1, 2021, and ending Jun. 30, 2022, and to appropriate the estimated revenues for such fiscal year for the objects and purposes stated in such budget. Ordinance No. 2021-041 To adopt the Special Fund Budgets for the fiscal year commencing Jul. 1, 2021, and ending Jun. 30, 2022, and to appropriate the estimated receipts of the Special Revenue funds for the said fiscal year. Ordinance No. 2021-042 To accept a program of proposed Capital Improvement Projects for the fiscal year beginning Jul. 1, 2021, and for the four fiscal years thereafter; to adopt a Capital Budget for the fiscal year beginning Jul. 1, 2021; and to determine the means of financing the same. Ordinance No. 2021-043 To appropriate and to provide funds for financing the school budget for the fiscal year commencing Jul. 1, 2021, and ending Jun. 30, 2022. Ordinance No. 2021-044 To adopt the Debt Service Fund Budget for the fiscal year commencing Jul. 1, 2021, and ending Jun. 30, 2022, and to appropriate the estimated expenditures from the Debt Service Fund for the said fiscal year. Ordinance No. 2021-045 To adopt the Internal Service Fund Budgets for the fiscal year commencing Jul. 1, 2021, and ending Jun. 30, 2022, and to appropriate the estimated receipts of the Internal Service funds for the said fiscal year. Ordinance No. 2021-046 To adopt the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities’ Richmond Cemeteries Budget for the fiscal year commencing Jul. 1, 2021, and ending Jun. 30, 2022, and to appropriate the estimated receipts of the Richmond Cemeteries for the said fiscal year for the operation and management of the facilities. Ordinance No. 2021-047 To adopt the Department of Public Works’ Parking Enterprise Fund Budget for Fiscal Year 20212022, and to appropriate the estimated receipts of the Department of Public Works’ Parking Enterprise Fund for the said fiscal year for the operation and management of parking facilities. Ordinance No. 2021-048 To adopt the Electric Utility Budget for the fiscal year commencing Jul. 1, 2021, and ending Jun. 30, 2022; to appropriate the estimated receipts of the Electric Utility for the said fiscal year; and to make appropriations from the Electric Utility Renewal Fund or Operating Fund for renewing, rebuilding or extending the plant and distribution system of the Electric Utility and for the purchase of vehicles. Ordinance No. 2021-049 To adopt the Gas Utility Budget for the fiscal year commencing Jul. 1, 2021, and ending Jun. 30, 2022; to appropriate the estimated receipts of the Gas Utility for the said fiscal year; and to make appropriations from the Gas Utility Renewal Fund or Operating Fund for renewing, rebuilding or extending the plant and distribution system of the Gas Utility and for the purchase of vehicles.

Citizens are encouraged to provide their comments in writing to CityClerksOffice@ richmondgov.com in lieu

Ordinance No. 2021-050 To adopt the Department of Public Utilities’ Stores Internal Service Fund Budgets for the fiscal year commencing Jul. 1, 2021, and ending Jun. 30, 2022, and to appropriate the estimated receipts of the Department of Public Utilities’ Stores Internal Service Funds for the said fiscal year.

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Ordinance No. 2021-051 To adopt the Stormwater Utility Budget for the fiscal year commencing Jul. 1, 2021, and ending Jun. 30, 2022; to appropriate the estimated receipts of the Stormwater Utility for the said fiscal year; and to make appropriations from the Stormwater Utility Renewal Fund or Operating Fund for renewing, rebuilding or extending the stormwater utility and for the purchase of vehicles. Ordinance No. 2021-052 To adopt the Wastewater Utility Budget for the fiscal year commencing Jul. 1, 2021, and ending Jun. 30, 2022; to appropriate the estimated receipts of the Wastewater Utility for the said fiscal year; and to make appropriations from the Wastewater Utility Renewal Fund or Operating Fund for renewing, rebuilding or extending the plant and distribution system of the Wastewater Utility and for the purchase of vehicles. Ordinance No. 2021-053 To adopt the Water Utility Budget for the fiscal year commencing Jul. 1, 2021, and ending Jun. 30, 2022; to appropriate the estimated receipts of the Water Utility for the said fiscal year; and to make appropriations from the Water Utility Renewal Fund or Operating Fund for renewing, rebuilding or extending the plant and distribution system of the Water Utility and for the purchase of vehicles. Ordinance No. 2021-054 To amend the schedule of classifications and assigned ranges incorporated into section I of the Pay Plan for the purpose of revising the wording of certain classification titles and changing the pay ranges of certain classification titles; to amend section II of the Pay Plan by adding therein a new subsection (C) for the purpose of implementing the recommendations of a study completed in 2018 that found significant compression in the lower end of the pay ranges and pay bands for non-sworn employees and recommended pay increases to move those employees toward the midpoint of their pay ranges or pay bands; and to amend sections III(B) (11), providing for salary supplements for the Office of the Commonwealth’s A t t o r n e y, I I I ( B ) ( 1 2 ) , providing for salary supplements for the Office of the Sheriff, III(B)(25)(e), suspending the education incentive for sworn fire and police employees, III(B)(36), to increase the hourly living wage for City employees from $12.07 to $13.00, and III(B)(40), to provide for the full implementation of the step-based pay plan for sworn fire and police employees, of the Pay Plan. Ordinance No. 2021-055 To a m e n d t h e f e e s set forth in the City Code for sections 7-6 (concerning fees for interments, disinterments, reinterments and entombments), 7-15 (concerning fees for installation of foundation for monuments or grave markers), and 7-92 (concerning fees for burial spaces and lots) of the City Code, to establish revised charges for certain cemeteries services. Ordinance No. 2021-056 To amend City Code §§ 28-191, 28-192, 28194, 28-195, 28-196, 28-198, 28-199, 28-200, 28-201, 28-202, 28-203, and 28-204, concerning gas service, for the purpose of changing the measurement of natural gas from quantities per thousand cubic feet to quantities per hundred cubic feet, and to amend and reordain City Code §§ 28-191(2) and 28191(3) (concerning fees for residential gas service), 28-192(2) (concerning fees for residential gas peaking service), 28193(2) (concerning fees for general gas service), 28-193(3) (concerning fees for small commercial gas sales), 28-194(2) (concerning fees for large volume gas service), 28-195(f) and 28-196(f) (concerning fees for transportation service), 28-198(2) and 28-198(3) (concerning fees for municipal gas service), 28-199(c), 28-199(d), and 28-199(g)(2), (concerning flexibly priced interruptible gas service), 28-200(2), 28-200(3) and 28-200(4) (concerning unmetered gaslight service), 28201(c) (concerning gas air conditioning service), 28-202(c) (concerning fees for large volume gas sales service), 28203(c) (concerning fees for large volume, high load factor, gas sales service), and 28-204(b) and 28204(c) (concerning fees for natural gas vehicle gas service) of the City Code, effective as of the date of rendering bills for Cycle I in July 2021, to establish Continued on next column

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revised charges for such services. Ordinance No. 2021-057 To amend the fees set forth in the City Code for sect ions 28-923 (concerning fees for residential stormwater service) and 28-924 (concerning fees for developed residential properties stormwater service) of the City Code, effective as of the date of rendering bills for Cycle I in July, 2021, to establish revised charges for the stormwater utility’s services. Ordinance No. 2021-058 To a m e n d t h e f e e s set forth in sections 28-650 (concerning fees for residential wastewater service), 28-651 (concerning fees for commercial wastewater service), 28652 (concerning fees for disposal of industrial sewage and wastewater), 28-653 (concerning fees for disposal of state and federal sewage and wastewater), and 28654 (concerning fees for disposal of municipal sewage and wastewater) of the City Code, effective as of the date of rendering bills for Cycle I in July, 2021, to establish revised charges for the wastewater utility’s services. Ordinance No. 2021-059 To amend and reordain City Code §§ 28-326 (concerning fees for residential water service), 28-327 (concerning fees for commercial water service), 28-328 (concerning fees for industrial water service), 28-329 (concerning fees for municipal water service), 28-330 (concerning fees for state and federal water service), 28-458 (concerning fees for water for fire protection) and 28-549 (concerning fees for water use during conservation periods) of the City Code, effective as of the date of rendering bills for Cycle I in July, 2021, to establish revised charges for such services. Ordinance No. 2021-060 To authorize the issuance of general obligation public improvement bonds of the City of Richmond in the maximum principal amount of $27,500,000 to finance the cost of school projects and general capital improvement projects of the City for the following purposes and uses: construction, reconstruction, improvements and equipment for public schools; construction, reconstruction, improvement and equipment for various infrastructure needs, including traffic control facilities, streets, sidewalks and other public ways, bridges, storm sewers, drains and culverts, and refuse disposal facilities; participation in redevelopment, conservation and community development programs, including the construction, reconstruction, improvement and equipment for targeted public facilities included in these programs; construction, reconstruction, improvements and equipment for public institutional, operational, cultural, educational and entertainment buildings and facilities, including but not limited to the theaters, parks, playgrounds, cemeteries, libraries and museums; acquisition of real property therefor as appropriate; and the making of appropriations to the City’s Economic Development Authority (“EDA”) to be used by the EDA to finance capital expenditures or to make loans or grants to finance capital expenditures for the purposes of promoting economic development; to authorize the Director of Finance, with the approval of the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City, to sell such bonds for such capital improvement projects, to provide for the form, details and payment of such bonds; to authorize the issuance of notes of the City in anticipation of the issuance of such bonds; and to authorize the issuance of taxable bonds, for the same purposes and uses, in the same maximum principal amount and payable over the same period as such general obligation public improvement bonds.

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and upgrades of stormwater sewers and associated facilities; new and replacement infrastructure of the storm sewer system, drainage structures, catch basins, ditches, storm sewer pipes, culverts, green infrastructure; acquisition of real property therefor as appropriate; and equipment for various infrastructure needs; and authorizes the Director of Finance, with the approval of the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City, to sell such bonds for such capital improvement projects, to provide for the form, details and payment of such bonds and to authorize the issuance of notes of the City in anticipation of the issuance of such bonds, and to authorize the issuance of taxable bonds, for the same purposes and uses, in the same maximum principal amount and payable over the same period as such general obligation public improvement bonds. Ordinance No. 2021-062 To a u t h o r i z e t h e issuance of public utility revenue bonds of the City of Richmond in the maximum principal amount of $60,185,560 to finance the cost of capital improvement projects of the gas, water and wastewater utilities and public utilities buildings and facilities for the following purposes and uses: enlargement, extension, repair, replacement, improvement and equipping of the gas plant and transmission lines; enlargement, extension, repair, replacement, improvement and equipping of the waterworks plant and transmission lines; enlargement, extension, repair, replacement, improvement and equipping of the wastewater plant and intercepting lines; construction, reconstruction, repair, replacement, and improvement of sanitary and storm water sewers, pumping stations, drains and culverts; construction, reconstruction, repair, replacement, improvement and equipping of public utility buildings and facilities therefor, including but not limited to the stores division; and acquisition of real property and real property rights (including without limitation easements and rightsof-way) therefor as appropriate; to authorize the Director of Finance, with the approval of the Chief Administrative O ff i c e r, f o r a n d o n behalf of the City, to sell such bonds for such capital improvement projects; to provide for the form, details and payment of such bonds; to approve the form of supplemental indenture of trust; to authorize the issuance of notes of the City in anticipation of the issuance of such bonds; and to authorize the issuance of taxable bonds, for the same purposes and uses, in the same maximum principal amount and payable over the same period as such public utility revenue bonds. Ordinance No. 2021-063 To authorize the issuance of general obligation equipment notes of the City of Richmond in the maximum principal amount of $7,100,000 to finance the cost of equipment for the following purposes and uses: acquisition of computer, radio, office, solid waste collection, o ff i c e f u r n i t u r e a n d miscellaneous equipment and vehicles for the various departments, bureaus and agencies of the City, and equipment for City schools; and to authorize the Director of Finance, with the approval of the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City, to sell equipment notes to finance the acquisition of such equipment, and to authorize the issuance of taxable notes, for the same purposes and uses, in the same maximum principal amount and payable over the same period as such general obligation equipment notes.

Ordinance No. 2021-061 To authorize the issuance of general obligation public improvement bonds of the City of Richmond in the maximum principal amount of $7,987,280 to finance the cost of capital improvement projects of the stormwater utility of the City for the following purposes and uses: replacement of and upgrades to the stormwater facilities, including but not limited to, construction, reconstruction, improvements, r e h a b i l i t a t i o n

Ordinance No. 2021-079 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to accept funds in the amount of $150,000.00 from the Virginia Outdoors Foundation; to amend the Fiscal Year 2020-2021 Special Fund Budget by creating a new special fund for the Department of Parks, Recreation and Community Facilities called the Bellemeade Park Outdoor Educational Classroom Facility Special Fund; and to appropriate the grant funds received to the Fiscal Year 20202021 Special Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the new Department of Parks, Recreation and

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Community Facilities’ Bellemeade Park Outdoor Educational Classroom Facility Special Fund by $150,000.00 for the purpose of funding the design, permitting, and construction of an outdoor classroom at Bellemeade Park located at 1800 Krouse Street in the city of Richmond. Ordinance No. 2021-080 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer to accept funds in the amount of $4,500.00 from the Virginia Commission for the Arts and to appropriate the increase to the Fiscal Year 20202021 General Fund Budget by increasing estimated revenues and the amount appropriated to the Non-Departmental General Fund Budget by $4,500.00 for the purpose of providing a grant of $2,250.00 of such funds each to the Cadence Theatre Company and to CultureWorks, Inc. Ordinance No. 2021-081 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute a Deed of Lease between City Central, LLC as lessor and the City of Richmond as lessee for the purpose o f p r o v i d i n g o ff i c e , warehouse, parking, and outdoor storage space for the Department of Public Works Facilities Services at 1410 Ingram Avenue. Ordinance No. 2021-082 To authorize the Chief Administrative Officer and the Director of Procurement Services, for and on behalf of the City of Richmond, to execute the fourth Contract Modification to Contract No. 16000022041 between the City and Manchester Marketing, Inc. T/A Seibert’s To w i n g f o r t o w i n g related services and tow lot operation for the purpose of documenting the exercise of the first renewal option of Contract No. 16000022041 and specifying rate increases for certain rates listed in Contract No. 16000022041. This meeting will be held through electronic communication means pursuant to and in compliance with Ordinance No. 2020-093, adopted April 9, 2020, as most recently amended by Ordinance No. 2020-232, adopted December 14, 2020. This meeting will be open to participation through electronic communication means by the public and closed to in-person participation by the public. Less than a quorum of Richmond City Council will assemble in the Council Chamber on the Second Floor of City Hall, located at 900 East Broad Street, Richmond, Virginia, and most Council members and other staff will participate by teleconference/ videoconference via Microsoft Teams. Video of the meeting will be streamed live online at the following web address: https:// r i c h m o n d v a . l e g i s t a r. com/Calendar.aspx. To watch the meeting’s live stream at the web address provided, find and click the link that reads, “In Progress” in the farthest right hand column entitled, “Video”. The agenda for the Richmond City Council meeting is accessible through the City’s legislative website at the following web address: https://richmondva. legistar.com/Calendar. aspx. To view the agenda at the web address provided, find and click the link that reads, “Agenda” associated with the April 12, 2021 Richmond City Council Formal meeting listed in the calendar. Interested citizens who wish to speak at the Richmond City Council meeting will be given an opportunity to do so by following the “Formal Meeting Citizen Participation Instructions” attached to the April 12, 2021 Richmond City Council Formal meeting agenda. Citizens are encouraged to provide their comments in writing to CityClerksOffice@ richmondgov.com in lieu of calling in. The person responsible for receiving comments in writing is Candice D. Reid, City Clerk. All comments received prior to 10:00 a.m. on Monday, April 12, 2021, will be provided to Council members prior to the meeting and will be included in the record of the meeting. Copies of the full text of all ordinances are available by visiting the City Clerk’s page on the City’s Website at https://www.rva.gov/ office-city-clerk. Candice D. Reid City Clerk

Divorce VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER FANTICASIA WALKER, Plaintiff v. MADI CEESAY, Defendant. Case No.: CL21001148-00 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 19th day of May, 2021 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 ROBIN BAILEY-ELLISON, Plaintiff v. ANTHONY ELLISON, Defendant. Case No.: CL21001146-00 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 19th day of May, 2021 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 HEIDI BOYETTE, Plaintiff v. MARK BOYETTE, Defendant. Case No.: CL21001041-00 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 7th day of May, 2021 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 EVAN HARRIS-DILLARD, Plaintiff v. LEON DILLARD, JR., Defendant. Case No.: CL20004669-00 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 7th day of May, 2021 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Esquire Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. VSB# 27724 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER ATTILA HORVAT, Plaintiff v. CAROLYN HORVAT, Defendant. Case No.: CL21001093-00 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. Continued on next column

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It is ORDERED that the defendant, whose whereabouts are unknown, appear here on or before the 7th day of May, 2021 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 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER BRITTNY HATCHER, Plaintiff v. NAKEA HATCHER, SR., Defendant. Case No.: CL20004695-00 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, appear here on or before the 19th day of May, 2021 at 9:00 AM, and protect his interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Esquire VSB# 27724 Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER FRED OFOSU-ANIM, Plaintiff v. LOUISA ANIM, Defendant. Case No.: CL21000988-00 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 3rd day of May, 2021 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 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER EBONIE DESILVA, Plaintiff v. WILLIE DESILVA, Defendant. Case No.: CL21000962-00 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 3rd day of May, 2021 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 OYERINOLA ONI, Plaintiff v. FOLASADE ROBINSON, Defendant. Case No.: CL21000822-00 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 28th day of April, 2021 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 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT Continued on next page


Richmond Free Press

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FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER DEMARCUS FERGUSON, Plaintiff v. TASHEKA FERGUSON, Defendant. Case No.: CL20001294-00 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 28th day of April, 2021 at 9:00 AM, and protect her interests. A Copy, Teste: FRANK D. HARGROVE, JR., Clerk I ask for this: Dorothy M. Eure, Plaintiff’s Counsel VSB# 27724 The Law Office of Dorothy M. Eure, P.C. 8460 Mount Eagle Road Ashland, VA 23005 (804) 798-9667

Aa’mer Lamont Cooper, child, DOB 01/12/2018, 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 defendant, Unknown Father and Antione Smith, to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before 05/17/2021, at 2:00 PM, Courtroom #4.

been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that VENABLE PROPERTIES, LLC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before MAY 13, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949

response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that T. WILDER CONSTRUCTION, INC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before MAY 13, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR THE COUNTY OF HANOVER JENNIFER WHITE, Plaintiff v. FRANK WHITE, Defendant. Case No.: CL21000856-00 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 28th day of April, 2021 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 ,

Custody

VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re jamonte cole rdss v. UNKNOWN FATHER nikki cole Case No. J-99157-06-00 J-99157-07-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“TPR”) of the Unknown Father and Nikki Cole (Mother) of Jamontae Cole DOB 09/04/2020, 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 Unknown Father and Nikki Cole to appear at the above-named Court and protect his/her interest on or before 09/13/2021, at 9:00 AM, Courtroom #4. VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re LEILIANA LYNNAE FELIX RDSS v. UNKNOWN FATHER, JENNIFER LYNN WARNER Case No. JJ097382-09-00, JJ097382-11-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“RPR”) Unknown Father (Father) & Jennifer Lynn Warner (Mother), o f L eiliana Lynnae Felix, child, DOB 9/22/2019, “RPR” 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, Unknown Father, (Father) & Jennifer Lynn Warner (Mother), to appear at the abovenamed Court and protect his/her interest on or before 6/11/2021, at 10:20 AM, Courtroom #1. VIRGINIA: IN THE JUVENILE AND DOMESTIC RELATIONS DISTRICT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND Commonwealth of Virginia, in re aa’mer lamont cooper RDSS v. UNKNOWN FATHER, antione smith Case No. JJ097382-09-00, JJ097382-11-00 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to: Terminate the residual parental rights (“TPR”) of the Unknown Father and Antione Smith (Father) of

PROPERTY VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. MARY E. WIGFALL, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-838 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 500 East Ladies Mile Road, Tax Map Number N000-1563/015, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Mary E. Wigfall. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, MARY E. WIGFALL, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that MARY E. WIGFALL, upon information and belief deceased, or her heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before MAY 13, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. VENABLE PROPERTIES, LLC, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-1016 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2300 Venable Street, Tax Map Number E000-0425/029, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Venable Properties, LLC. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, VENABLE PROPERTIES, LLC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not Continued on next column

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. JOHN DAVID SCHNEIDER, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-863 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 4024 Southampton Road, Tax Map Number C001-0426/010, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, John David Schneider. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, JOHN DAVID SCHNEIDER, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, have not been located and have not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that JOHN DAVID SCHNEIDER, upon information and belief deceased, or his heirs, devisees, assignees or successors in interest, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before MAY 13, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949 VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. T. WILDER CONSTRUCTION, INC., et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-1015 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 2109 Richmond Street, Tax Map Number E000-0665/007, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, T. Wilder Construction, Inc. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, T. WILDER CONSTRUCTION, INC, an entity listed as inactive in the records of the Virginia State Corporation Commission, has not been located and has not filed a Continued on next column

VIRGINIA: IN THE CIRCUIT COURT OF THE CITY OF RICHMOND JOHN MARSHALL COURTS BUILDING CITY OF RICHMOND, Plaintiff, v. ORION DEVELOPMENT GROUP, LLC, et al, Defendants. Case No.: CL21-950 ORDER OF PUBLICATION The object of this suit is to subject the property briefly described as 1801 Fairfax Avenue, Tax Map Number S000-0456/012, Richmond, Virginia, to sale in order to collect delinquent real estate taxes assessed thereon in the name of the owner of record, Orion Development Group, LLC, an entity not listed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission. An Affidavit having been filed that said owner, ORION DEVELOPMENT GROUP, LLC, an entity not listed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, has not been located and has not filed a response to this action, and that any heirs, devisees, assignees, successors in interest, successors in title and/or any creditors with a current or future interest in said property, have not been identified and/ or served despite diligent efforts to do so and are defendants to this suit by the general description of “Parties Unknown.” IT IS ORDERED that ORION DEVELOPMENT GROUP, LLC, an entity not listed with the Virginia State Corporation Commission, and Parties Unknown, come forward to appear on or before MAY 13, 2021 and do what is necessary to protect their interests in this matter. An Extract, Teste: Edward F. Jewett, Clerk Gregory A. Lukanuski, Esq. City of Richmond, Office of the City Attorney 900 E. Broad Street Richmond, VA 23219 804-646-7949

Notice of Intent to Acquire Property: 7KH 9DOHQWLQH 0XVHXP KHUHE\ QRWLÀHV LQWHQW WR acquire title to the objects listed below. The last known lender on record is listed below & these objects will become the property of the museum after 65 days if no person can prove ownership of the property, pursuant to Code of VA § 55210.37. Lender: Unknown Address: Unknown Loan Date: 1943 Description: Animal Hide (L.43.114) Lender: Mrs. James E. Covington Address: 6106 Three Chopt Road Loan Date: February 4, 1947 Description: Pink and Blue Chiffon Evening Gown (L.47.2a-d) Lender: Miss M. Katharine Cary Address: 1715 Park Avenue Richmond, VA Loan Date: 1947 Description: Lamp and globe (L.47.8, .8b) Lender: The Rev. and Mrs. Day Carper Address: Southern Presbyterian Church Mission, Bibanga, Belgian Congo Loan Date: January 10, 1948 Description: Rattle (L.48.01.09a) Lender: [Unknown First Name] Claiborne Address: Unknown Loan Date: April 14, 1949 Description: Teapot (L.49.2 a-c) Lender: Mr. J.A. Jamison Address: 4100 Hermitage Road Richmond, VA Loan Date: June 1, 1950 Description: One Wedding Dress, Dressing Gown and Cape (L.50.06.02-04a,b) Lender: Unknown Address: Unknown Loan Date: 1950 Description: One stuffed animal (bunny) and one pincushion (L.50.2.11 & .13) Lender: Mrs. Djenane M. Lemmon Address: 2606 Park Avenue Richmond, VA Loan Date: 1951 Description: Medicine spoon (L.51.11) Lender: Unknown Address: Unknown Loan Date: 1972 Description: Beaker (L.72.06) Lender: Unknown Address: Unknown Loan Date: 1972 'HVFULSWLRQ ,GHQWLÀFDWLRQ 7DJ ´1DWLRQDO /HDJXH / of Women / Voters” (L.72.147.16) Lender: Mrs. Robert Andrews Loan Date: 1978 Description: Dress of brown silk crepe with PRWLIV RI OHRSDUGV DQG ÁRZHUV 9

Please visit website or contact museum for information on how to make a claim: The Valentine Museum Alicia Starliper, Collections Project Manager/ Registrar 804-649-0711 ext. 205 Registrar@thevalentine.org http://www.thevalentine.org/collections/ undocumented-property

1-800-Pack-Rat (VA-Richmond-5471) 6601 S Laburnum Ave Richmond, VA 23231 877-774-1537

LICENSE Boni Roni BBQ LLC Trading as: Boni Roni BBQ 3016A Mountain Rd Glen Allen, Virginia 23060-2001 The above establishment is applying to the Virginia Alcoholic Beverage C ontrol (ABC) AUTHORITY for a Beer On Premises license to sell or manufacture alcoholic beverages. NOTE: Objections to the issuance of this license must be submitted to ABC no later than 30 days from the publishing date of the first of two required newspaper legal notices. Objections should be registered at www. abc.virginia.gov or 800-5523200.

Notice of Sale Tenant Unit Langhorne, LaToya D57267 Rudicil, Stephanie 802868 SWEENEY, STEPHANIE 703748 Wade, Teresa D56213 1-800-Pack-Rat (VA-Richmond-5471), 6601 S Laburnum Ave, Richmond, VA 23231, has possessory lien on all of the goods stored in the units above. All these items of personal property are being sold pursuant to the assertion of the lien on 4/7/2021 at 10:00 AM in order to collect the amounts due from you. The sale will take place on www.Acceleratedlisting.com from 4/7/2021 to 4/14/2021 at 6:00p.m.

Employment

AMERICAN SIGN LANGUAGE & INTERPRETER EDUCATION (ASL&IE) INSTRUCTOR

CONSOLIDATED PLAN PUBLIC NOTICE

On Thursday, April 15, 2021, the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) will hold a public hearing on items relating to the &RPPRQZHDOWK RI 9LUJLQLD·V DGPLQLVWUDWLRQ RI WKH &RQVROLGDWHG 3ODQ $QQXDO $FWLRQ 3ODQ DQG WKH DPHQGPHQW RI WKH $FWLRQ 3ODQ WR DPHQG WKH XVH RI &'%* &29,' IXQGV 7KH YLUWXDO SXEOLF KHDULQJ ZLOO EH KHOG IURP ² $0 7R MRLQ E\ SKRQH GLDO 86 ɕ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²&29,' IXQGLQJ LQ WKH DPRXQW RI &RSLHV RI WKH SODQ GRFXPHQW PD\ EH UHTXHVWHG E\ FDOOLQJ RU 7'' 3HUVRQV UHTXLULQJ VSHFLDO DFFRPPRGDWLRQV VKRXOG FDOO 7KH 3ODQ ZLOO DSSHDU RQ WKH DJHQF\·V ZHE VLWH DW KWWSV ZZZ GKFG YLUJLQLD JRY FRQVROLGDWHG SODQ The Department will receive written comments and testimony on the proposed $FWLRQ 3ODQ DQG WKH DPHQGPHQW WKURXJK WKH FORVH RI EXVLQHVV RQ $SULO DW WKH IROORZLQJ HPDLO DGGUHVV .D\FHH (QVLJQ# GKFG YLUJLQLD JRY

#FO384 Reynolds Community College, Richmond, VA Full-time nine-month teaching faculty-ranked appointment. Master’s degree in ASL&IE or a related field, or a Master’s degree in any field with 18 graduate semester hours in ASL&IE is required. The selected candidate must be able to successfully pass the college’s pre-employment security screening. Salary Range: $56,200 $65,000. Salary commensurate with the education and experience of the applicant. Additional information is available on the college’s web site: www.reynolds.edu/jobs

APPLICATION PROCESS: Position to be filled for Fall 2021 Semester (August 16, 2021 start date). Review of applications will begin April 26, 2021. AA/EOE/ADA/Veterans/ AmeriCorps/Peace Corps/ Other National Service Alumni are encouraged to apply.

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BUSINESS MANAGER Richmond, Virginia

Virginia Economic Development Partnership is seeking an experienced economic development professional to successfully promote Virginia to targeted corporate executives and consultants as the preferred location for new and expanding business facilities. All candidates must apply through our website: https://www.vedp.org/about-vedp. Application deadline: Open Until Filled VEDP is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, veteran status, political affiliation, genetics, or against otherwise µÕ> wi` ` Û `Õ> Ã Ü Ì ` Ã>L Ì ið Ì Ã 6 *½Ã intent that its employment and personnel « V ià > ` «À>VÌ Vià V v À Ì > >«« V>L i federal, state, and local laws and regulations Ài}>À` } ` ÃVÀ >Ì > ` >vwÀ >Ì Ûi action. Applicants requiring more information or requiring assistance may contact VEDP Human Resources at 1-804-545-5634 or vedphr@vedp.org. TDD 1-800-828-1120.

GIS TECHNICIAN Richmond, Virginia

The Virginia Economic Development Partnership is seeking a GIS Technician to join the Research Division’s GIS Team. This position will create and maintain standard and highly-customized cartographic products, maintain multiple GIS datasets, and perform GIS analyses as needed in the support of the VEDP mission. All candidates must apply through our website https://www.vedp.org/about-vedp. Application deadline: April 11, 2021. VEDP is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All applicants are considered for employment without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, age, veteran status, political >vw >Ì ] }i iÌ VÃ] À >}> ÃÌ Ì iÀÜ Ãi µÕ> wi` individuals with disabilities. It is VEDP’s intent that its employment and personnel policies and practices conform to all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations regarding non-discrimination and affirmative action. Applicants requiring more information or requiring assistance may contact VEDP Human Resources at 1-804-545-5634 or vedphr@vedp. org. TDD 1-800-828-1120

PSYCHOLOGY INSTRUCTOR #FO416 Reynolds Community College, Richmond, VA Full-time nine-month teaching faculty-ranked appointment. Master’s degree in Psychology, or a Master’s degree in any field with 18 graduate semester hours in Psychology. The selected candidate must be able to successfully pass the college’s pre-employment security screening. Salary range: $56,200 - $65,000. Salary commensurate with the education and experience of the applicant. Additional information is available on the college’s web site: www.reynolds.edu/jobs

APPLICATION PROCESS: Position to be filled for Fall 2021 Semester (August 16, 2021 start date). Review of applications will begin April 26, 2021. AA/EOE/ADA/Veterans/ AmeriCorps/Peace Corps/ Other National Service Alumni are encouraged to apply.

Thank you for your interest in applying for opportunities with The City of Richmond. To see what opportunities are available, please refer to our website at www.richmondgov.com. EOE M/F/D/V

CIRCUIT COURT CLERK’S OFFICE, CITY OF RICHMOND DEPUTY CLERK/RECORD ROOM WĞƌŵĂŶĞŶƚ WŽƐŝƟŽŶ /ŵŵĞĚŝĂƚĞ ŽƉƉŽƌƚƵŶŝƚLJ ĨŽƌ ĞŶĞƌŐĞƟĐ͕ ĚĞƉĞŶĚĂďůĞ ĂŶĚ ƉƌŽĨĞƐƐŝŽŶĂů ĐĂŶĚŝĚĂƚĞƐ ƚŽ ǁŽƌŬ ŝŶ ĚŽǁŶƚŽǁŶ ĐŽƵƌƚƐ ďƵŝůĚŝŶŐ͘ DƵƐƚ ďĞ ĚĞƚĂŝůͲŽƌŝĞŶƚĞĚ ĂŶĚ ƉŽƐƐĞƐƐ ĞdžĐĞůůĞŶƚ ĐƵƐƚŽŵĞƌ ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞ ĂŶĚ ƚĞůĞƉŚŽŶĞ ƐŬŝůůƐ͘ WƌŝŽƌ ĞdžƉĞƌŝĞŶĐĞ ƌĞĐŽƌĚŝŶŐ ĚĞĞĚƐ͕ ĐĂůĐƵůĂƟŶŐ ĨĞĞƐ ĂŶĚ ƚĂdžĞƐ͕ ĂŶĚͬŽƌ ƌĞĐŽƌĚƐ ƌĞƐĞĂƌĐŚ Ă ƉůƵƐ͘ Ks Z > dd Z͕ Z ^hD E ^ > Zz ,/^dKZz Z Z Yh/Z W> ^ ^h D/d >> d,Z dK͗ ŝƌĐƵŝƚ ŽƵƌƚ ůĞƌŬ ŵƉůŽLJŵĞŶƚΛZŝĐŚŵŽŶĚŐŽǀ͘ĐŽŵ OR Z/ ,DKE /Z h/d KhZd > Z<͛^ K&&/ W Z^KEE > W ZdD Ed ϰϬϬ EKZd, ϵd, ^dZ d Z/ ,DKE ͕ s/Z'/E/ ϮϯϮϭϵ

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