Butler grows VUU’s recruiting roster

Jay Butler continues to beat a path on the basketball recruiting trail.

Virginia Union Panthers went to the NCAA’s last year and Coach Butler plans to return, despite losing several seniors including CIAA Player of Year Robert Osborne.

That’s why the veteran coach continues to hit the road for fresh talent for the 2023-24 season.

Coach Butler’s latest list of signees includes an established Division II scorer and three promising freshmen.

Jakobe Williams, a 6-foot-3 guard, is headed to Richmond after averaging 15 points and five rebounds last season for SIAC affiliate Paine College of Augusta, Ga.

Williams should have two seasons of VUU eligibility. He has proven he can score against CIAA competition. Last season he had 24 points against Shaw, 21 against Ellizabeth City and 17 against Claflin.

Freshmen on the way include 6-foot-9 Anthony Davenport from Richard Montgomery High in Maryland, 6-foot-7 Joshua Caine from La Plata High, Md., and 6-foot-1 Bobby Gardner from Fluvanna High. Gardner averaged 26 points this past season for Fluvanna while earning Region Player of year and second team All-State Class 3. He scored 1,192 for his career.

Earlier, Coach Butler signed 5-foot-10 guard O’Mauntre Harris, who averaged 25.4 points this past season for State Class 4 runner-up E.C. Glass of Lynchburg.

NCAA Division II schools are allowed only nine scholarships, but Coach Butler spreads the riches.

“We might have 35 to 40 players on minor scholarships,” Coach Butler said. “That includes players we might red-shirt and also players for our junior varsity team.”

VUU had hoped Osborne might return but he apparently won’t. “It was the semesters thing that got him,” Coach Butler said.

The power forward from Hermitage High has had 10 college semesters, or five years. The 2023-24 season would be his sixth season out of high school.

Osborne attended Hampton University for three years before transferring to VUU where he excelled. He never played at Hampton.

Additional homeowners to enjoy city property tax exemption

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

More Richmond homeowners are joining the list of people who will not have to pay property taxes due to their age or certification as totally disabled.

On Monday, City Council unanimously approved a significant expansion of its long-standing tax relief program, which currently benefits nearly 2,100 property owners who are 65 or older or totally disabled.

Among the changes, council extended the 100% exemption is to homeowners with income up to $30,000 a year and a net worth of $450,000 or less, excluding the value of the primary home.

Until now, complete exemption from real estate taxes was only available to qualifying homeowners with an income of $20,000 a year or less, with a 75% exemption provided to those with household incomes between $20,001 and $30,000 a year.

Richmond Department of Finance data show 1,289 homeowners now qualify for full exemption, which city officials said represents an increase of about 300 homeowners.

Separately, the new ordinance extended a 25% exemption to homeowners with incomes up to $70,000 a year, up from the current $60,000 income limit. About 160 homeowners qualified for the 25% exemption, according to the Finance Department. It is unknown how many additional owners with income higher than $60,000 a year would seek to qualify for that exemption.

The ordinance left unchanged the 75% exemption that 393 elderly and disabled homeowners with incomes between $30,001 to $40,000 a year qualified for and the 50% exemption that 256 property owners with incomes of $40,001 to $50,000 qualified for.

This is the second expansion of the program since 2020. With property values continuing to rise, the program is now budgeted at around $4.6 million, up from $3 million in 2017.

Richmond’s program is the only one in the state, the city has found, that accepts applications 12 months a year. That change went into effect in January 2022.

Those who qualify also get another benefit: Free trash service and recycling pickup. The city does not charge for those services for those who qualify for the tax relief program. Renters who reach age 65 or those who are totally disabled also can apply to the program to eliminate those service charges.

RPS superintendent opposes new contract for beleaguered school social worker

By Jeremy M. Lazarus

First, Richmond Public Schools accused her of beating a child in her care, but that charge was twice dismissed in court after witnesses who saw the incident testified that it never happened.

Then, Richmond Public Schools sought to fire her for failing to show up to work in position that she was never offered.

Now Superintendent Jason Kamras, in a final bid to get rid of social worker Robin Spears, a 15-year RPS employee, has recommended to the School Board that she not receive a new one-year contract.

The School Board, which has the final say in personnel matters, could reject the superintendent’s decision at its meeting next Monday, June 5, although that happens only in rare situations despite the current shortfall in staff.

Ms. Spears has been on paid leave since November 2021 when the incident occurred involving a 6-year-old student who was participating in an after-school program at Fox Elementary.

Ms. Spears was in charge of the program and drew a complaint for her efforts to halt the child from overturning chairs and a table in the room that served as her office. Before he was brought to her office, he had been walking on tables in the cafeteria.

Along with an internal finding against her which Ms. Spears disputed, she also was charged with battery of the child.

But in Richmond General District, the charge was dismissed after a judge heard testimony from two other adults who were in the room that Ms. Spears never touched the child while seeking to bring him under control.

Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney Elisabeth Linka refused to accept that verdict and used her position to take the case to Circuit Court, where another judge heard the evidence and found Ms. Spears not guilty.

Earlier this year, the RPS Human Resources Department sought to charge her with failing to report to a position. However, Ms. Spears provided evidence that she was never offered a specific job nor given the name of the school to which she was supposed to report.

Sa’ad El-Amin, who has represented Ms. Spears in the administrative proceedings, said the only hope for Ms. Spears is for the School Board to take a deeper dive and consider whether the superintendent is making an appropriate recommendation in her case.

“She has been put through the wringer,” said Mr. El-Amin, a former member of City Council who now operates Employee Rights Advocates that mostly defends government employees facing disciplinary action in administrative hearings. “Given her record, she doesn’t deserve what is happening. She has been a loyal employee with an excellent record; just the kind of person you would want on the payroll.”

RVA Bike Share shuts down

Free Press staff report

Richmond’s bike share program shut down abruptly Monday after the Canadian operator, Bewegen Technologies, ended service, according to a city statement.

There are now 22 stations across the city where people can check out a bike for a fee, with most of the cycles coming with electric motors. All of the bikes are locked and unusable, the city reported.

In the statement, the city said that a new operator is now being sought for the RVA Bike Share program, and that a month of free rides would be offered once Bewegen is replaced.

Richmond is not alone in experiencing difficulties with Bewegen. In April, bike service was suspended n Raleigh, N.C., when the company halted service. And Baltimore ended a trouble-plagued program operated by Bewegen.

RVA Bike Share started service in August 2017 with 17 stations and was later expanded in a second phase. The bikes at first were all pedal and then were mostly replaced with Bewegen’s electric bikes.

The program initially started with federal funding. According to the bike program’s internal financial reports, the program has broken even for the past several years and has not needed any city subsidy to support operations.