Sept. 23 Newsletter: Stoney says he'll give an endorsement. Who wants it?
Weather: Cloudy with a high of 77
On this date in 1915, the Collegiate School for Girls (now Collegiate School) opened on West Franklin Street downtown. Seventy-five students enrolled.
Levar Stoney says he'll give an endorsement for mayor. Who wants it?
As Richmond Mayor Levar Stoney prepares to leave office after almost eight years, he says he plans to endorse someone to take the job next, Graham Moomaw reports.
In interviews with The Richmonder, the mayoral hopefuls said they haven’t directly asked Stoney to back their campaigns. But some are open to the idea.
Stoney said he wants to hear more from the candidates about which of his policies they’d continue and which they disagree with.
“It’s a whole lot different to talk about the job than doing the job,” he said.
City breaks ground on Northside development that will add 125 new homes
After years of planning and waiting, construction is underway on a Northside development that will add 125 new single family homes to Highland Park, almost half of which will be reserved for people whose incomes make it difficult to compete for housing in Richmond’s tight market.
Sarah Vogelsong reports that the income-limited houses are earmarked for first-time homebuyers, defined as either someone who has never purchased a home or someone who has not owned a property in the last three years.
Of the homes, 30 are specifically for people making less than 80% of the Area Median Income, which in 2024 was $61,800 for one person and $88,250 for a family of four. Another 30 homes are for those who make between 81 and 120% of AMI.
Read more, including details on the project cost
Tim Kaine's 'Virginia nature triathlon' deepened his appreciation of the state
U.S. Senator (and Richmonder) Tim Kaine decided in 2018 to test himself, and celebrate both his 60th birthday and 25 years in public life, by embarking on an “epic Virginia outdoor quest” of his own creation, Andy Thompson writes.
Kaine hiked all of the Appalachian Trail in the state, biked every Virginia mile of the Blue Ridge Parkway, and paddled the James River from source to bay: the Virginia Nature Triathlon, which he documents in a new book.
In an interview with Thompson, Kaine shared that the adventure changed him in tangible ways.
“I’m a little bit better at not being yoked to my cell phone," he said. "I could do somewhat better of not always being connected. But I’ll often leave the cell on my desk or leave it at home when I go out to do some outdoor thing. That definitely was the trail helping me realize I was too yoked to my phone.”
Read more, including details on the book
The Richmond International Film Festival returns this week with 'Saturn' in the spotlight
The Richmond International Film Festival will screen about 170 films this week from directors representing 25 different countries, as the annual event runs from Tuesday to Sunday at locations around town, Ashley Jefferson reports.
She has an interview with the director and producer of "Saturn," the film that will open up the festival with a red-carpet premiere at the Byrd Theater on Tuesday night. Read more here
School Board candidate forum takes place tonight
The majority of Richmond School Board candidates have agreed to participate in a forum tonight at Huguenot High School.
The forum will be staged by the League of Women Voters and moderated by The Richmonder's founding editor, Michael Phillips.
Candidates will be split into two groups. Those running in Districts 1, 3, 5 and 7 will take the stage between 6-7:15 p.m., and those running in Districts 2, 4, 6 and 8 will answer questions from 7:15-8:30 p.m. (The 9th District race is being run unopposed.)
If attending, use the building entrance that faces Forest Hill Avenue, and please use the parking lot and not the bus lane as students will be departing from after-school activities.
In other news...
- Electoral board vice chair says she wants to remove Registrar Balmer (Times-Dispatch)
- Una guía para votantes - A Spanish-language guide to voting this fall (VPM)
- ‘Unity in diversity’: Thousands participate in Run Richmond 16.19 (NBC 12)
- Federal government awards contract to Richmond-based UNOS (Times-Dispatch)
The Editor's Desk
There have been no shortage of opportunities to engage with the mayoral candidates, but relatively few forums for Richmond School Board candidates.
That makes tonight's event at Huguenot High School particularly exciting, as we are expecting a majority of candidates across all nine districts to participate.
I want to thank the League of Women Voters for taking the lead and making the event happen. I'll be moderating. If there's anything you want to ask the candidates, hit reply and let me know.
Michael Phillips, founding editor
mphillips@richmonder.org
