Oct. 23 Newsletter: Accusations mount against City Council candidate

Weather: Sunny, midday high of 80

On this date in 1902, Rev. Dr. J.B. Hawthorne, a preacher at Grove Avenue Baptist Church, sues the police, alleging they are looking the other way on the city’s multiple gambling houses and saloons. 

Sergeant William H. Wyatt Jr. admits the force knew about the operations, but “in doing so they were following a plan practiced in the best governed cities of the world and using their own discretion.” No changes were made as a result of the investigation.

Today's newsletter sponsored by: Virginia Commonwealth University. As a top 20% global university, Virginia Commonwealth University is an unparalleled powerhouse of innovation and creative problem solving. VCU attacks challenges as opportunities to do what others can’t or won’t. It's truly a university unlike any you’ve ever seen.

Tavares Floyd’s campaign paperwork comes under the microscope

More people are disputing elements of Richmond City Council candidate Tavares Floyd’s official campaign paperwork, adding to an avalanche of allegations against Floyd in the 6th District race.

• Floyd wrote that he or an immediate family member has an ownership stake of McClenny & Watkins Funeral Home that generates more than $250,000 in gross income. (The owner told The Richmonder that Floyd works part-time for the business.)
• Floyd’s listed expenses include $36,457.98 spent with “Atlanta Digital Marketing Agency.” (The CEO of the agency told The Richmonder that the group has not worked with Floyd.)
• Floyd’s early campaign paperwork lists Chenice Brown as his treasurer. (Brown told The Richmonder she no longer works for the campaign and handled no financial transactions.)

This is in addition to previous reporting that Floyd attributed a campaign contribution to a woman who has been dead since 1984, and a statement from Floyd's sister to the Richmond Times-Dispatch that Floyd isn't related to George Floyd (he says they're cousins).

Catch up on the latest in the 6th District race here.

Federal judge upholds Richmond’s use of license plate cameras

There are now almost 100 license plate cameras stationed around the city, made by Flock Safety.

A U.S. District Judge has ruled that data from those cameras can be used by police to help solve crimes, as Richmond and Chesterfield did when collaborating to arrest a man who was charged with robbing a tobacco store.

“As a society, we have come to expect the public surveillance of our vehicle as we travel on public roads,” the judge wrote. “We understand that, at any given time in public, a camera may take a picture of our vehicle.”

Read more on the potential implications here.

RPS lays out plans for enforcing state-ordered cell phone limits in schools

Superintendent Jason Kamras’ administration laid out its plans Monday for how the district will eliminate the use of cell phones during the school day beginning Jan. 1. 

John Beazley, RPS director of care and safety, said the “bottom line is no cell phone from bell to bell.”  

“No cell phone means a cell phone has to be stored. Stored means in a backpack or put away somewhere,” he said. “It cannot be in your pocket.” 

Read more on the regulations here.

Today's sponsor:

VCU College of Engineering adding six minors in cutting-edge disciplines

Programs in artificial intelligence, aerospace engineering, nuclear engineering, software engineering, cybersecurity and data science emphasize a transdisciplinary approach to engineering and prepare students for high-demand fields.

“The College of Engineering at VCU is undergoing transformational changes to offer unique and exciting experiences to our students,” said Azim Eskandarian, DSc, Alice T. and William H. Goodwin Jr. dean of the college. “Among these critical changes are six new minor programs, enhancing the student experience and serving the regional and national engineering industry with a much-needed, expertly trained workforce.” Read more.

It'll be scary warm and dry for the rest of October

Sean Sublette has the early Halloween forecast, with indications that temperatures will be in the 60s during trick-or-treating.

Read more, including a look at how recent Octobers have been warmer than usual, here.

Sold-out podcast festival brings top creators, buzz to Richmond

For the third year, Richmond will be home to the Resonate Podcast Festival, a now-international gathering of producers and audio gurus at VCU's Institute for Contemporary Art.

“Richmond is so awesome that it kind of catches people by surprise,” said Chioke I’Anson, Community Media Director at the ICA and the mind behind Resonate.

Read more, including how students are being folded into this year's event.

In other news...

• Committee approves use of Main Street Station as bus stop (NBC 12)
• Vehicle fire shuts down VCU's MCV parking garage (Times-Dispatch)
• 'Very special' Richmond educator, music pioneer Marie Goodman-Hunter, passes away at 95 (CBS 6)

The editor's desk

Tonight brings the final event where all five mayoral candidates will be on stage together, the Richmond Mayorathon, which puts a special emphasis on community organizations. The Richmonder's Sarah Vogelsong will be a moderator.

The group also distributed a questionnaire to mayoral and city council candidates. You can read those responses here.

Michael Phillips, founding editor
mphillips@richmonder.org