Political newcomer Rae Cousins upsets opponents for House bid

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

Rae Cousins, a lawyer and fourth-generation Richmonder, handily won Tuesday’s primary in Richmond to become the Democratic nominee for the 79th House of Delegates District.

Ms. Cousins, 43, bested 3rd District City Councilwoman Ann-Frances Lambert, 47, and criminal justice crusader Richard Walker, 65, in the their contest in the L-shaped district that is anchored in the East End and takes in portions of South Side and North Side.

The district is one of three that includes portions of the city and the only one in which there was a party nomination contest. Incumbent Delegate Betsy B. Carr is unopposed in her bid for the 78th House District seat as is City Council President Michael J. Jones, who is running for the 77th House District seat.

In her first bid for public office, Ms. Cousins, who had raised nearly eight times more money as her two opponents, handily won the nomination contest in which about 11% of the district’s nearly 61,500 registered voters participated.

Unofficial results show she won 27 of the 28 precincts in securing 4,186 votes, or 63% of the 6,668 votes cast.

Ms. Lambert, who had hoped to follow her late father, Benjamin J. Lambert III, into the General Assembly, received 1,981 or 30% and Mr. Walker received 501 votes or 7%, according to the Virginia Department of Elections.

Ms. Cousins raised more than $500,000 to fuel her campaign, but still must get by independent Kyle Sundberg in the November general election to secure the House seat.

In a victory statement, she lauded her family, supporters, contributors and voters “for their confidence in me.”

Senior counsel at the BrownGreer law firm, Ms. Cousins said if she wins in the fall, she would focus on issues that would help create “a better Richmond,” including advocating for bigger investments in public schools, in affordable, accessible health care and affordable housing and finding ways to reduce the threat of gun violence.

A better Richmond, Ms. Cousins said, means a place where “my daughter will be raised with the same rights I was, with autonomy over her own body. The work of achieving a better Richmond has just begun, but we are on the way.”

New General Assembly building

Free Press staff report

Anticipating a possible special session, the Virginia General Assembly announced it won’t be moving into its new building until later this year.

Plans were to move into the new building last fall, but supply chain issues threatened completion of the building in time to fully prepare for a successful 2023 legislative session. The body decided to remain in the Pocahontas Building through at least this spring.

However, required life safety equipment failed testing and one of the building’s stairwells did not meet building code requirements. General Assembly members, their staff and House and Senate support staff will remain in the Pocahontas Building for now and move into the building later this year once all issues are resolved. The building opening will be announced to the public at a later date.

“Similar to last fall, we find ourselves faced with delivering to the General Assembly a building that is not fully operational, thoroughly tested and ready to conduct the important business of the body,” said Joe Damico, director of the Department of General Services. “While we could open the building by working around the issues we face, the General Assembly is making the prudent decision to delay until the facility is 100 percent ready to accommodate elected officials, employees and visitors.”

Mr. Damico said that the department remains committed to “working with our contractors to deliver a building worthy of the consequential work that will be conducted within its walls.”

Second gun buyback program for city targeted

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

City Hall plans to continue to invest in gun buyback programs despite clear evidence that the program has not worked, which studies have shown is the case in virtually every locality offering to pay people to turn in their guns.

City Council is expected to approve a request from Mayor Levar M. Stoney’s administration for $80,000 to cover the cost of the second gun buyback.

The ordinance that is on track to secure overwhelming approval calls for the city to again partner with Liberation Church on Midlothian Turnpike in South Side, which hosted the Richmond’s first event last August.

Gun violence has soared in Richmond since the first gun buyback event was held, with police reporting almost nightly on the discovery of one or more shooting victims. Police have reported that shootings and slayings have increased in the months since the first gun buyback took place in 2022.

The ordinance states the city has allocated $500,000 to support the buyback initiative from federal funding provided through the American Rescue Plan, and will have at least $340,000 to pay for additional events after the second one is held. Council, at the request of the administration, allocated $80,000 for the first event. The city teamed with the Robby Poblete Foundation to stage it. City police reported spending $67,500 to buy 481 weapons at the initial event.

Cityscape

Slices of life and scenes in Richmond

Charles Willis, the ‘first responder to first responders’, continues decades of community advocacy

By Darlene Johnson

On Tuesday, June 6, Charles Willis was on Cowardin Avenue going to get dinner when he saw police cars racing across the Lee Bridge toward Virginia Commonwealth University’s campus.

He knew something was wrong.

When he learned the reason for the speeding police cars and flashing lights, he was unable to eat until nearly two days later.

Mr. Willis got a call saying that there was a mass shooting and that the Trauma Healing Response Network, a nonprofit he works with, was on the scene. The organization provides resources to families during traumatic events.

Before the evening ended, Mr. Willis was among thousands of horrified Richmonders who heard that two men, Shawn Jackson and Renzo Smith, were shot and killed at Monroe Park after leaving Huguenot High School’s graduation ceremonies. Nearly a dozen others were injured. The alleged gunman Amari Ty-Jon Pollard, 19, soon was arrested and charged in Richmond court with two counts of second degree murder with additional charges possible, according to police.

Mr. Willis’ first response was to be there to assist the families and guide them to safe places. As a community leader and advocate, he was pleased with how the different police departments and private security entities for worked together in handling the crisis.

Mr. Willis describes himself as in his 60s with 34 years of experience as a community advocate. He grew up in Mosby Court and graduated from John F. Kennedy High School. He is the founder, CEO and executive director of United Communities Against Crime, a nonprofit organization founded in 2012. The group has worked with families throughout Virginia and has even spanned into North Carolina.

Mr. Willis formerly worked at Richmond Public Schools as an instructional assistant teaching and working with children with special needs. He also has been a DJ. He has worked with grieving families for over 27 years.

Mr. Willis “provides a great service to the community,” said Tracey Hardney-Scott, board chair of the Help Me Help You Foundation. “I honestly think that he’s underappreciated,” she continued.

Ms. HardneyScott describes Mr. Willis as “the first responder to first responders” that works “relentlessly” for the Richmond community and is someone “who should be more appreciated and recognized for the work that he does,” she said.

It’s been challenging since the mass shooting, Mr. Willis said.

On June 11, United Communities Against

Crime held a prayer vigil at Abner Clay Park for victims Shawn Jackson, 18, and his stepfather, Renzo Smith, 36. Things do not end after the funeral – that’s when things begin, Mr. Willis said.

“The birthdays, the holidays, the vacation days and all of this stuff that she had planned for and wished for and all the wonderful things the family had planned is a dream. It’s gone,” he said.

Violence prevention and conflict resolution must be taught within school systems and neighborhoods to alleviate violence in the community, Mr. Willis said.

“Parents, young folks, senior citizens, even our community leaders need to be taught by professionals and people that work in that field on how to resolve conflict without resorting to violence,” he said.

Mr. Willis encourages citizens to reach out to United Communities Against Crime for resources such as educational tools and mental health counseling. The group can be reached at (804)399-1111.